Paris (AFP)

CFDT secretary general Laurent Berger, who called for mobilization next Tuesday against the pension reform project presented by the government, believes on Sunday that it is necessary to "remove the age of equilibrium", an extension measure the contribution period.

"It's very simple: for the CFDT to take another look at this bill, the government must agree to withdraw the age of balance. One point, that's all," declared Mr. Berger in the Journal du Sunday, concerned that there is "no blockage of transport for Christmas".

Swearing that his "anger on Wednesday, after the announcement of the details of the reform, was not feigned", the union official repeats that "it makes no sense to combine" systemic "reform and" parametric "reform, that is to say relating to one of the parameters of the system: age or duration of contribution.

"It is deeply unfair to ask those who were born in 1960 and who are due to retire in 2022 to work longer," he adds.

Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced the establishment of an "age of balance" at 64 years of age. Everyone can continue to retire at 62, but at the cost of a penalty on their pension, those who leave afterwards benefit on the contrary from a bonus.

Failing to come back to this point, "the CFDT will also meet in January", after that of next Tuesday, in inter-union with the CFTC and Unsa, and alongside the inter-union behind the CGT strike , FO, Solidaires, FSU, as well as four youth organizations, which demands the withdrawal of the project.

However, Laurent Berger recalls that he remains favorable to a transformation of the current system into a "universal system" by points.

"I will not be caught between those, on the one hand, who say that this reform must be done away with, and on the other hand, the accounting technocrats, who think that the reform comes down to averages and numbers, "he lambasted.

Regarding Mr. Philippe's invitation to a meeting in Matignon "as soon as possible next week", Mr. Berger ensures that "each time a door is opened, the CFDT goes there", without giving more details.

What if the government maintains the age measure? "The CFDT will continue to say that it is against it. There will be discussions, but also militant mobilization. It is obvious."

But, he nuances, if "the CFDT calls for a demonstration on Tuesday, December 17", it does not call "to continue on 18, 19, etc ...". "I do not wish to block transport for Christmas. Do not make users pay the bill (...). We have to break the deadlock. But stigmatizing special diets is the worst nonsense!", Nuance- there.

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