Paris (AFP)
The Minister for Ecological Transition Elisabeth Borne ruled on Sunday that there was "no longer any reason" for the strike against the pension reform "to continue", the day after the removal of the pivotal age of 64 proposed by the Prime Minister to the social partners.
The Minister, also in charge of Transport, spoke during the BFM Politics program in partnership with Le Parisien newspaper. Edouard Philippe's announcement on Saturday was welcomed by the reformist unions, while opponents dismissed the idea of a rapid end to the conflict.
"There is no longer any reason for this strike movement to continue. As early as December, we had given [agents of the SNCF and RATP, editor's note] strong guarantees on the transition between the special regime and the future universal system Today, a compromise has been found with the trade union organizations which are in dialogue, and everyone aspires to find an easier life, "said Elisabeth Borne.
She repeated several times that "there is no longer any reason for this conflict to continue": "there were prerequisites, these prerequisites have been lifted," added the minister.
"The CFDT and the UNSA now wish to get to work within the framework of the financing convention which was proposed by Laurent Berger", the general secretary of the CFDT, "we have a few months months to find a solution", summarized Elisabeth Borne.
She also returned to "malicious acts which can be dangerous" and that "the law represses", citing as an example "blocks on the tracks" SNCF or power cuts: "SNCF is filing a complaint, EDF is carrying complaint, that seems perfectly normal to me, "she said.
Also questioned about a possible reform of the minimum service, the minister considered that it was not part of "the subjects to be tackled urgently".
On Saturday, the intersyndicale (CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, FSU, Solidaires and youth organizations) called to continue the movement and to march on January 16 for the sixth time since the conflict began on December 5.
The withdrawal of the pivotal age formulated by Edouard Philippe is subject to conditions: he proposes that a "funding conference" be held with the social partners to "propose the measures to achieve financial equilibrium in 2027". In the absence of agreement of this conference by "the end of April 2020", the government will take by ordinance the measures necessary to reach this balance in 2027.
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.
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