Paris (AFP)

Between express convocations to the Elysée or Matignon, negotiations under pressure, even provocations, the unions and the executive have had a troubled history for more than two years.

The relationship is marked by "mistrust", explains Laurent Berger to AFP. "They theorized that the intermediary bodies were impediments and not levers for democracy," analyzes the secretary general of the CFDT.

Emmanuel Macron had warned: he prefers that the unions stay in their place, that is to say in the company. "I want less political unionism. We need intermediary bodies but in the right place," explained candidate Emmanuel Macron.

Upon his arrival, the unions, some of whom have already practiced Emmanuel Macron at the Elysée as an adviser or at Bercy, know this. They will have to force open the door of the ministries and will have difficulty being heard.

Especially since after an election reigns a relative state of grace which makes any social mobilization difficult, all the more for unions whose popularity is familiar with the lowest, like political parties.

The failure of the mobilization against the Labor Law of 2016 also went through there.

The reform of labor law, the first major reform of the quinquennium, goes like a letter to the post. However, these work orders displease the unions also because they merge the employee representative bodies and will eventually destroy several tens of thousands of elected officials in French companies.

The CGT and Solidaires do organize some events but without much success. Legal remedies are attempted but are unsuccessful.

While some at the base of the CFDT growl, Laurent Berger leaves his sneakers in the closet and does not want to enter into confrontation. "Let's not give the government the arguments to put us on the shelf of the old world, on the shelf of helpless moaners," he said then.

- "No voice to the chapter" -

But, the tensions on the bottom and the method accumulate. Unions feel ignored, bypassed, even humiliated.

"Macron is + I think, so you are +", sums up the short-lived secretary general of FO, Pascal Pavageau, with his keen sense of formula.

"Concertation in Macron sauce, it's + cause you always interest me", criticizes Philippe Martinez, number one of the CGT, who finds that the president "plays with fire". The representative of the managers' union, the CFE-CGC, François Hommeril, tweeted him tirelessly against the executive and dried up certain meetings.

Laurent Berger begins: "with Emmanuel Macron, either we agree on everything, or we have no say," he laments in May 2018, explaining six months before the movement of "vests yellow "that he feared the rise of" radicalities ".

A month later, he denounced "the Anglo-Saxon vision" of Emmanuel Macron's society, which reinforced "populism". He also goes up to the niche on immigration by signing a podium "Mr. Macron, your policy contradicts the humanism that you advocate".

The privileged interlocutor of the previous five-year period, the CFDT no longer has the favors of power, and is skating in finding passageways.

Meanwhile, at the SNCF, three months of conflict did not prevent a reform which transformed the company into a limited company and ulcered the railway workers who denounced "a passage in force".

Even at Medef, which has a new boss, Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux, the potion goes badly.

- "Someone who doesn't know how to do" -

Unpublished fact in memory of unionists and entrepreneurs, at the beginning of July 2018, all union and employer organizations, including Medef, meet at the Environmental and Social Economic Council (Cese).

They decided to tune their violins before a first meeting at the Élysée with all the social partners, presented by the Head of State as an opportunity to "lay the foundations for a new social contract, that of opening century ".

The unions all honor the meeting but leaving vigilance is required. A month later, a new meeting, in Matignon this time.

Philippe Martinez, who was not really convinced, comes out, lapidary: "Nothing has changed! We are called to explain what we are going to do this year (...) and then we are told + anyway we will do what we want + ".

Then comes the crisis of the yellow vests of autumn 2018, which several trade unionists had predicted.

The executive is plunged into a crisis from which it is difficult to escape. Édouard Philippe brushes aside Laurent Berger's service offers. And finally, the famous "act II" of the quinquennium is launched, as well as a great debate. Without convincing union leaders much.

The spite begins to break.

"It becomes complicated to go ahead with someone who does not know how to do it," says the stirring François Hommeril (CFE-CGC).

Last episode of the saga, which has left its mark: unemployment insurance. Invited to negotiate, under duress, they say, the social partners cannot reach an agreement.

"We are in a funny system! Every day in the country, we say + intermediary bodies, territorial democracy, social democracy, let us do +. And when we shake hands, we say + my good sir, it's hard , take it back + ", commented Emmanuel Macron.

A provocation for the unions and the Medef.

"Looking for scapegoats can be tempting in the short term but counterproductive for the future," warns Laurent Berger.

Nine months later, the latter will go to protest Tuesday against the pension reform when, paradoxically, he is most favorable to the principle of a universal scheme.

© 2019 AFP