Paris (AFP)

Edouard Philippe said on Saturday "willing to withdraw", under certain conditions, the pivotal age of 64 from the pension reform project in a letter to the social partners, a gesture welcomed by the reformist unions when the opponents beat the pavement in most major cities in France.

"I am ready to withdraw from the bill the short-term measure that I had proposed, consisting of gradually converging from 2022 towards an equilibrium age of 64 years in 2027," said the Prime Minister in this letter sent. in the aftermath of bilateral negotiations with the unions in Matignon, while maintaining the principle of an age of balance in the reform.

The CFDT, the first union in France and favorable to the universal points system, had made a "red line" of this pivotal age prompting the French to leave at 64 in 2027 on pain of being inflicted a penalty.

As of the government's announcement, the central "welcomed the withdrawal of the pivotal age of the bill, withdrawal which marks the will to compromise" of the executive. It displays in a press release its desire to "continue the discussions" and indicates that it will register "in the financing conference which it proposed in principle".

"The withdrawal of the pivotal age is a good thing that allows us to calmly discuss the balance," added the secretary general of Unsa, Laurent Escure. "This will allow progress to be made on the rest of the reform, to obtain compensation, guarantees and progress," he told AFP.

His CFTC counterpart, Cyril Chabanier, also considered that "an important gesture was made by the government", which "took into account what several reformist unions were saying". "We have been heard and we can enter the dialogue process today," he added on LCI.

In the camp of opponents of the reform, the CGT said in a statement that it is "more than ever determined to obtain the withdrawal" of the reform. Its leader Philippe Martinez was due to speak at 8 p.m. on TF1.

FO number one, Yves Veyrier for his part indicated on BFMTV that he would participate in the financing conference: "I will go wherever I think to defend the interests of employees, even if I have doubts about the fact to be heard. "

The Prime Minister's letter is "first of all a maneuver", denounced Solidaires in a press release, observing that "the golden rule of balance is still there" and that the government "plans to act by orders".

The intersyndicale called for a new inter-professional day of strikes and demonstrations on January 16.

On the 38th day of mobilization against the reform project, several tens of thousands of demonstrators - 21,000 according to the prefecture, 150,000 according to the CGT - marched in the capital. A procession interspersed with some degradations and clashes with the police, which reported seven arrests at 5.30 p.m., at the start of the dispersal.

- "Lendemains qui chantent" -

Other demonstrations took place everywhere in France: between 3,200 (according to the police) and 15,000 people (according to the CGT) marched in Lyon, 3,000 to 20,000 in Toulouse, 2,900 to 10,000 in Grenoble, 3,200 to 5,000 in Montpellier, 1,000 to 5,000 in Rennes.

The authorities counted 6,000 in Marseille, 2,900 in Caen, or 1,200 in Tours. At the national level, the Ministry of the Interior has listed 149,000, the CGT 500,000.

The Prime Minister had reiterated Friday "the determination of the government" to present this project of universal pension system on January 24 in the Council of Ministers and to submit it to the examination in public session in the National Assembly from February 17 that it can be adopted before the summer.

The government's willingness to compromise on the pivotal age will not necessarily translate into an end to disruptions in transport.

SNCF traffic remains disrupted this weekend with 80% of TGVs, one TER out of two and 40% of Transiliens, while RATP mentions a "clear improvement" compared to the last weekends.

The intersyndicale called to continue the movement with a "day of strike and interprofessional convergence", and "initiatives declined in all forms".

The CGT called to maintain the blocking of fuel shipments from refineries until January 16 inclusive, and filed a notice of strike "renewable blocking" from 13 in two centers of the Banque de France which process more than a quarter of country notes.

The historic strike continued on Saturday at the Paris Opera, with the cancellation of the representation of the Barber of Seville, and at Radio France, which is in its 40th day of strike.

burs-mpf-gbh / DLM

© 2020 AFP