Paris (AFP)

Opposed to the future "universal system" of pensions wanted by the government, lawyers parade mass Monday in the capital, accompanied by care professionals (doctors, nurses, etc.) and air transport (pilots, hostesses, stewards), anxious like them to keep their "autonomous regimes".

After a black Friday in Parisian transport, several thousand black dresses and some white coats began to march shortly after 14:00 in the direction of Nation, at the call of the National Council of Bars (CNB), joined by other professional organizations in the SOS Retraites collective.

At the sound of whistles and sirens, protesters waved placards on which one could read "a retreat, not the slave trade" or "more expensive retirement, precarious justice".

"Black dresses, white coats, uniforms you're all here, you're thousands, well done!", Welcomed NBC President Christiane Feral-Schuhl, adding, "we have never been so numerous".

"We represent 700,000 professionals who care, defend, transport and want to live their lives, and live from retirement." We say no to the nationalization of our autonomous regimes, not to the universal system, "she summarized. .

"We are not special diets, our funds are beneficiaries and we intend to keep them", for its part proclaimed Dr. Jerome Marty, president of the French Union for a free medicine (UFML), differentiating the pension funds from the independent of those of the SNCF, the RATP and the electric and gas industries, deficit and bailed out each year by the State.

"We will be out for a year if necessary," warned Ghislaine Sicre, president of Convergence Nurse.

"Hold on, continue this mobilization to the end!" LFI MP Ugo Bernalicis told the crowd.

In their line of sight, the future "universal system" advocated by the High Commissioner for pensions Jean-Paul Delevoye, which will result in a sharp increase in contributions of self-employed and, with the disappearance of their coffers, a "transfer" of their financial reserves.

The sums involved range from 2 billion euros for lawyers, whose CNB denounces the "spoliation" to 7 billion for doctors, whose union FMF opposes the "hold-up".

- "dead justice" day -

This event is coupled with a hearings strike that promises to be very well attended, with almost all 164 French bars "mobilized", according to the Conference of the bâtonniers.

Almost everywhere, the lawyers decided not to plead any case and to request the referral of the trials, as in Rennes, where nearly 80 lawyers came to protest in Paris for this day "justice morte", like so many of their colleagues Strasbourg, according to their respective orders.

Also not assigned, free consultations nor criminal hotlines. The only exception is the litigation of freedom (police custody, pretrial detention ...).

To contain the slingshot, Prime Minister Philippe Philippe instructed Mr. Delevoye to meet "by October 15" the representatives of the 42 regimes turned off, to "draw up an inventory" and "set a timetable of job".

"There are solutions for each of the professions", with "transition times adapted to each case," says the high commissioner.

Mr. Delevoye and the Keeper of the Seals Nicole Belloubet will receive on Tuesday morning the officials of the CNB, the CNBF and the Conference of the bâtonnieres.

At the same time, the consultation with the trade unions and employers, started almost 2 years ago, will resume "until December" to try to finally find an agreement on the age of departure or the duration of contribution.

In the meantime, the dialogue will also pass by the street: Force Ouvrière and the CGT will protest respectively Saturday 21 and Tuesday 24 September.

© 2019 AFP