2023-05-18 17:36:15
After four months of trench warfare, dialogue has resumed between the government and the unions. The Prime Minister received the leaders of the five main French confederations between Tuesday and Wednesday and there was no slamming of the door.
At the end of these interviews, which all lasted more than an hour and a half, Elisabeth Borne welcomed these “dense and long exchanges”. “Beyond pensions, we have discussed many topics that interest workers,” she insisted.
A vision not at all shared by the secretary general of the CGT, received the last. Sophie Binet met the head of government for the first time since her election. The interview gave rise to a first pass of arms between the two women.
Always angry
“We had been sold “social dialogue” and we attended two hours of management monologue”, lambasted the trade unionist as she left. “I could not give an end of inadmissibility since I was listening to the subjects that the CGT, such as the CFDT, the CFTC, FO and the CFE-CGC wish to address”, replied the Prime Minister. . Atmosphere…
The other trade unionists are also still angry, but if the time was not for reconciliation, they played it less frontally. “We got the ball rolling, but we didn’t dance,” summarized the first received, Frédéric Souillot. The number one of Force Ouvrière described the dialogue as “frank and direct”. It was “a resumption of contact”, explained the president of the CFE-CGC, François Hommeril.
“Resentment” and loss of “trust”
All of them reiterated from the outset to the Prime Minister their refusal to turn the page on pensions, evoking the mobilization of June 6 and their support for the Liot group’s bill returning to 62 years, which “would be unacceptable [qu’elle] not be examined by Parliament”, insisted the cedist Laurent Berger. Trade unionists have also pointed to the extent of the “resentment” produced by the pension reform, which the loss of “confidence” in the executive.
A method issue
However, many other subjects than pensions were discussed this time. “Wages, purchasing power, employment of seniors, young people, hardship, retraining”, enumerated Elisabeth Borne. Three other sensitive subjects were also cited by all: the conditionality of business aid, the reform of staff representation in 2017 and that of unemployment insurance. Also with a method issue.
“The unions have expressed their wish to leave all its place to social dialogue” and therefore “not to have too strict a framework from the government”, underlined the Prime Minister after her interviews. “I was able to confirm to them that we were completely in this state of mind”, she affirmed: “As we will do on the sharing of value, we will undertake to faithfully and fully transcribe the agreements that could be reached between the social partners”.
She did not mention it, but this of course concerned primarily the agreement which has just been negotiated on occupational diseases and accidents at work which notably provides for giving the keys to the branch to the social partners.
Tripartite meeting
The prospect of a tripartite State-trade union-employer meeting to agree on a social agenda was raised with several trade union leaders. The hypothesis that it is held at the Elysée is not, however, self-evident. “The organization of a class photo of the unions with Professor Macron before June 8” is no, has already warned Sophie Binet, demanding concrete announcements and not a timetable. “She’s not the only one who doesn’t see any interest in going to the Elysée…” adds one of her counterparts.
All the trade union leaders, except that of the CFE-CGC which is not a member, will meet in Berlin for the congress of the European Trade Union Confederation. The opportunity to refine their strategies while next week, Elisabeth Borne must receive the employers’ leaders.
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