Initially scheduled for Thursday, the presentation of the pension reform is rescheduled for January 10. This announcement comes the day after the appointment of the new leaders at the head of the Republicans and Europe Ecology the Greens. “This allows us to have a few more weeks so that those who (…) have just taken on responsibilities can, on some key elements of the reform, discuss with the government”, declared Emmanuel Macron while opening the second plenary session. of the National Council for Refoundation (CNR) at the Elysée.
Providing for a postponement of the retirement age to 64 or 65, this text is meeting strong opposition from all the unions. “They are obstinate, I weigh my words, to say that it is necessary to work until 65 years”, had denounced Thursday the secretary general of the CGT, Philippe Martinez.
“We are going to be careful not to fall into any traps”
This announcement of the postponement of the presentation of this text is greeted with caution, even mistrust by the social partners. “My first reaction is to ask myself, ‘What the fuck? “. The second is to tell me that we gain a few precious weeks. The third is mistrust, ”sums up Simon Duteil (Solidaires).
The CFDT indicates in a press release “to take note” of the postponement, which will “allow” it to “continue to carry out its priority demands for more social justice”. But the first French union “reiterates its opposition to any postponement of the retirement age limit”, a measure “brutal which would first penalize the most modest employees”.
Through the voice of its confederal secretary Céline Verzeletti, the CGT considered that the postponement showed “the feverishness of the government, which fears a strong mobilization”. Will the unions give up calling this week for a first day of action in January? “We are going to be careful not to fall into any trap,” says François Hommeril (CFE-CGC).
On the side of the CGT, “we know that mobilizations will be needed. We think that, in any case, we will have to be ready for the first half of January, ”says Céline Verzeletti. “It does not change anything for us in terms of mobilization: we had decided to wait until January, and there will be a mobilization in January”, supports Michel Beaugas (FO).