Paris (AFP)

The strike against the pension reform entered its 29th day on Thursday, a record for a continuous blockage of transport for more than 30 years, but the dialogue of the deaf between executive and unions seems well established.

The de facto holiday break brought about an improvement in transport on Thursday, with only one fully closed metro line (7 bis) in Paris and one TGV on 2 on average. For weekend returns, the SNCF plans to run two out of three TGVs.

About 200 demonstrators, including rail workers and local officials, were gathered Thursday in front of the Donges refinery (Loire-Atlantique), where a strike call by the CGT and FO for three days. Shipments are blocked.

Before the interprofessional day of actions Thursday January 9, the conflict could rebound on Monday.

The secretary general of the CGT Philippe Martinez called on Wednesday "all the French to mobilize, to go to the demonstrations and to go on strike".

Several liberal professions and especially lawyers have planned actions from Monday and, in the oil sector, the CGT Chimie called for a hardening of the movement from Tuesday, with blockages of refineries, petroleum terminals and deposits for four days .

Thierry Defresne, central union representative at Total, even mentioned a possible production stoppage, depending on the scale of the mobilization on January 9.

The Secretary of State for the Economy, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, condemned Thursday this type of mobilization. "It's illegal to block refineries. It's not the right to demonstrate, it's not the right to strike," she said on BFMTV. "Today it is legitimate for the French to have access to petrol, this pressure is not acceptable".

- Painfulness and pivotal age -

In this context, consultations must resume Tuesday between the unions and the government, requested by Emmanuel Macron during his vows to the French to find a "rapid compromise".

It will essentially be a question of looking for ways out with the reformist unions CFDT, CFTC and Unsa.

However, the president made no mention Tuesday of the "pivotal age", that the number 1 of the CFDT, Laurent Berger, erected in "red line".

Since Emmanuel Macron's speech, he has contented himself with a wish tweet calling for "more solidarity, fraternity, social justice and ecology" than last year and saying convinced that "CFDT activists will take their part in the many battles that await us".

The CFDT did not immediately call to participate in the day of January 9.

Without pronouncing the term - which we know since October 3 that he does not "adore it, because it gives the feeling that work is painful" -, Emmanuel Macron stretched a pole on the question of arduousness . The reform "will take into account the difficult tasks, to allow those who exercise them to leave earlier", he recalled.

Created by the pension reform of 2013, the arduousness account originally included ten criteria, including the carrying of heavy loads, painful postures, mechanical vibrations and dangerous chemical agents, but these four items were removed at the end of 2017 and the government has not appeared ready to reintroduce them at this stage. Much to the chagrin of the reformist unions who intend to take advantage of the concertation to gain points on this issue.

"When you have long careers, you already have a different starting age. The arduousness must be taken into account," argued Thursday the Minister of Ecological Transition Élisabeth Borne on LCI.

The calendar is tight, since the pension reform must be presented to the Council of Ministers on January 22.

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