A turbulent social weather opens this week on France. The polar cold that persists between the government and the unions around the pension reform could last until the end of year celebrations if no new consultation opens these next days. At the risk of paralyzing the whole country during the Christmas holidays.
Neither the government nor the unions seem ready to give up. Everyone is responsible for blocking transport. "If the government withdraws its project and (we) seriously discuss how to improve the system (...) and everything will be fine. Otherwise, the strikers will decide what they have to do Thursday or Friday", declared number 1 of the CGT Philippe Martinez on BFMTV. "The Republic cannot be blackmailed," retorted the Minister of Public Accounts, Gérald Darmanin, on the same plateau a few moments later.
When a system is unbalanced, when there is a “hole” of several billion euros, what happens? We are going to borrow on the financial markets.
I don't want French pensions to depend on the financial markets! #retraites pic.twitter.com/nr7tWac5mb
• Black Monday
Monday therefore promises to be another dark day in transport: in addition to public transport still very disrupted and traffic jams, it will be necessary to count on snail operations and blockades of truckers, at the call of four transport unions and logistics, on a separate watchword.
• Tuesday, strike again
Tuesday will be a day of general mobilization. All unions are now calling for a strike and demonstration, including reformist organizations, such as the CFDT, CFTC, Unsa or students of Fage. These organizations are furious that the Prime Minister has maintained an age measure in his plan to transform the 42 existing pension plans into a universal point system.
• The establishment of a "plan bis" of the SNCF
Read: Ten things to know about the pension reform project
For the holidays, the SNCF is already preparing a "plan bis" in the event of an extension of the railway workers' strike. The railway undertaking must inform users on Tuesday individually of the maintenance or cancellation of their train for the first weekend of the school holidays. The executive director of Voyages SNCF Rachel Picard has promised to "try to work miracles" to propose other departure times in the event of cancellation. But half of the travelers would nevertheless remain on the floor.
• New consultations in sight?
Laurent Berger, the secretary general of the CFDT, hinted that he was open to new consultations. For his part, Philippe Martinez had the Prime Minister on the phone Thursday evening, but without any appointment being made. If they take place, it will probably not be before Tuesday's mobilization.
• Jean-Paul Delevoye in the hot seat
The High Authority for the Transparency of Public Life could decide to take legal action over the revelations concerning Jean-Paul Delevoye. The High Commissioner for Pensions, weakened after the revelation of 13 undeclared mandates, could resign if justice is seized.
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