Clermont-Ferrand (AFP)

Benoît Teste on Friday called on teachers to "amplify" the movement against pension reform, after his election as head of the FSU, the first union organization in the sector.

"We will continue to put our forces in this massive battle" which "is far from over" because "retirement is a right to life, not to survival," said Mr. Teste, during his first speech as Secretary General.

At the end of the national congress of the union in Clermont-Ferrand, he asked "all and all" to "mobilize before the 17th (December, next day of inter-union action), during the 17th and after the 17th!" . It is necessary to "amplify the movement", he said to the militants who warmly applauded him.

The only candidate, Mr. Teste was elected Friday morning by the national council of the FSU (Unitary Trade Union Federation) "by a very large majority". This professor of history and geography in Seine-Saint-Denis, 41 years old, succeeds Bernadette Groison, remained ten years at the head of the federation.

"I start this mandate in a crucial moment for trade unionism in general and for the FSU in particular, and I take the measure," he said.

"It's a big responsibility, the unions have put the workers in action, we do not have the right to disappoint, we're playing big on this, and we're going to have to get things done. that the government loose, "he told reporters after his speech.

"We will see how to make ourselves visible during the school holidays and then in January, we will try to resume the movement," he said, while saying "regret the situation of blockage" due to "government deafness".

Teste, however, said there was "more room for negotiation": the FSU "will go to the discussions" proposed by the government "to bring its proposals." "The more our proposals are taken into account, the more the reform project will be defeated," he said.

He recalled that his federation refused to link the issue of teachers' salaries and pensions. "We do not want compensation for a reform that is rejected."

More specifically, with regard to his new mandate, he stressed that he was "very interested" in "the individual defense issues of the agents, the statutes, the careers" while linking them to the "education and society" issues.

A unionist since 2001 and a campaigner since 2008, Mr. Teste has been National Secretary in charge of pensions and the civil service, and Deputy Secretary General of Snes-FSU, the first union of teachers of secondary schools.

© 2019 AFP