after a 13ᵉ day of mobilization, the intersyndicale to the challenge of unity

2023-05-02 09:15:30

Union officials meet by videoconference in the morning, Tuesday, May 2, the day after a 1^is-May which gathered around 800,000 demonstrators in France, according to the police, or 2.3 million, according to the General Confederation of Labor (CGT). The unions must decide what to do with the movement against the pension reform despite their differences over the invitations of the executive to resume negotiations on other subjects.

Without reaching the levels of the end of January, when nearly 1.3 million people had marched according to the Ministry of the Interior, the mobilization during this first United International Workers’ Day since 2009 remained strong after twelve days of parades. , well beyond a 1^is– Classic May. For Frédéric Souillot, the general secretary of FO (Force Ouvrière), “this massive and determined mobilization obliges [les syndicats mobilisés] to continue in union unity to fight this law” although it has essentially been validated by the Constitutional Council and is due to come into force in September.

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To fuel the protest, the unions have now “two deadlines in the viewfinder”according to Sophie Binet, the general secretary of the CGT:

On May 3, decision of the Constitutional Council concerning the RIP

In the very short term, they await the decision of the Constitutional Council, Wednesday, about the second request for a referendum of shared initiative (RIP).

Cooled by the rejection by the Constitutional Council of the first request for RIP, on April 14, they are cautious. Laurent Berger believes in it ” more or less “ whereas, for Sophie Binet, “the RIP was written not to work”.

Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Why the second RIP on pensions still has many hurdles to overcome

On June 8, the repeal of the pension reform under discussion in the Assembly

In the medium term, the unions put more hope in the discussion in the National Assembly, on June 8, of a bill from the LIOT group of deputies (Liberties, Independents, Overseas Territories and Territories) aimed at repealing the reform. For me^me Binet, who recalls that the motion of censure failed “only nine votes” after the use of 49.3, the deputies have “the way out of the conflict in the hands”. A favorable vote would only be the start of a parliamentary journey, but it would be a slap in the face for the executive. “There is necessarily a risk because we are in a relative majority”acknowledged the Minister of Labor, Olivier Dussopt, on LCI on Monday evening.

This date could serve as a reason for organizing a new day of action. Until then, the unions will have to try to reach an agreement despite their differences over the executive’s pressing invitations to resume dialogue on an agenda that ranges from the reform of France Travail (the transformation of Pôle emploi), from the RSA and the vocational high school to negotiations on the employment of seniors and working conditions. Elisabeth Borne must send invitations to this effect to the unions in the coming days, without specifying the format of these meetings, bilateral or multilateral.

Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers The government is preparing a labor law to try to turn the page on pensions

Already, Laurent Berger has announced that the CFDT (French Democratic Confederation of Labor) “would go talk” with the Prime Minister while Sophie Binet kicked into touch, recalling that the inter-union had planned to make the decision « ensemble ». “The government agenda, with the reform of work and vocational high school, does not suit us”she warned.

“We never said we agreed on everything. (…) It’s not the end of the union. Tomorrow, we will express ourselves together and we will say what we are going to do in the weeks to come., relativized Laurent Berger, guest Monday of the program “Daily” on TMC. If the LIOT group’s bill is not validated by the vote on June 8, “I’m not going to tell stories, I’m not going to say that we’re going to do a 15^e16^e17^e day of mobilization which will make the government and the President of the Republic give in”he admitted.

The other “reformist” unions, the CFE-CGC (French Confederation of Management-General Confederation of Executives) and the CFTC (French Confederation of Christian Workers), have already said that they will also go to the meetings proposed by the executive. . “We cannot skip meetings at Matignon indefinitely. We need a renewed balance of power, it’s the writing of a new chapter “pleaded François Hommeril, the president of the CFE-CGC.

The World with AFP