After making a step towards the reformist unions on Saturday, Édouard Philippe addressed, on Sunday, January 12, to those who have opposed since December 5 the pension reform project.
"We will go to the end," said the Prime Minister on France 2, "and, basically, all those who incite (the strikers) to continue the strike send them perhaps in a dead end (...), I think they should take responsibility. "
The head of government also explained "always think personally that the pivotal age is the best way to guarantee the return to balance of the current system". And to specify: "But the trade unions and the employers' organizations agreed in the respect of a calendar which I wished to make me proposals to return to the balance. What counts, it is not the instrument, it is the objective, it is the balance as soon as they admit themselves ".
"We are going to make proposals, everyone has moved, but the balance, the principle and the way in which it will be obtained, is not negotiable," he added.
What next for opponents of the pension reform?
The mobilization against the government's pension reform project enters its 40th day, Monday. Spearheading the strike, the intersyndicale (CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, FSU, Solidaires and youth organizations) is not giving an inch for the moment, asking since December 5 the withdrawal of the project.
SNCF and RATP announced traffic that was still disrupted but "improving" for Monday, with an average of 8 TGVs out of 10 on France, 7 Intercités out of 10 and 7 Transilien out of 10, while RER A and B will run at reason every other train every day.
If for Fabien Villedieu (Sud Rail), the government's announcement will "boost" the determination of the strikers, the arrival of payrolls in January may well cool some employees.
"It is clear that colleagues want to go back to work," noted, disillusioned, a line 2 agent met by AFP in the demonstration on Saturday. "It will be difficult to continue financially." "It could continue if there was a national commitment, but we can clearly see that the private sector did not follow".
Monday's general meetings will give an indication of the continuation of the movement to the SNCF and the RATP. The demonstrations of January 16 will also be a test while the demonstrators were, on Saturday, between 149,000 (Ministry of the Interior) and 500,000 (CGT), or one third of the participation on December 9 (between 452,000 to 1, 7 million).
With AFP
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