Paris (AFP)

The withdrawal by the government of the famous "pivotal age" of the pension reform on Saturday opens the way to an exit from the crisis with the return to negotiation of the reformist unions, but the opponents do not disarm, ruling out the possibility of an end rapid conflict.

Ile-de-France residents who have endured transport difficulties for 39 days risk having to wait: the inter-union (CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, FSU, Solidaires and youth organizations) calls to continue the movement and to march on January 16 for the sixth time since the conflict began on December 5.

Admittedly, the "reformists", opposed to the pivotal age but favorable to the new point system (CFDT, Unsa and CFTC) grabbed the hand stretched out by the government, but the "protesters" spearheaded strikes, CGT, FO and Solidaires are not giving an inch yet.

The general secretary of the CGT Cheminots, Laurent Brun, added on BFMTV: "I do not see employees who today have lost almost a month and a half of salary on specific demands for the defense of their retirement, to say: ben there, there will be a discussion between Laurent Berger and the Prime Minister, they will agree on a new measure of budgetary constraint ".

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 next Thursday will also be a test, while the crowd decreases in the street: on Saturday, the demonstrators were 149,000 according to the Interior Ministry, 500,000 according to the CGT, or one third of the participation on Thursday 9 (452,000 to 1.7 million).

- Battle of opinion -

Government and unions will keep their eyes on the next polls. "Public opinion supports the strikers," proclaimed Saturday evening Philippe Martinez.

The "financing conference" which must be set up at the end of January to find an agreement by the end of April on the financial balance of the system will be decisive.

"The government has made a gesture, and no one can contest it. But this withdrawal is not a blank check," warned CFDT secretary general Laurent Berger, the first union in the JDD.

Government and employers remain in favor of an age measure and oppose any increase in contributions. The government has also ruled out cutting pensions, which leaves negotiators little room for maneuver.

In the JDD, Laurent Berger talks about other recipes and says he is ready to talk about "the question of the retirement reserve fund, taking into account the arduousness to differentiate the retirement ages, the employment of seniors, (...) reallocation of contributions ".

Laurent Escure (Unsa) again suggests in Le Parisien dimanche to draw from "the reserve fund of 30 billion euros", and "from 2024, to permanently draw 1 bn or 1.5 bn from what the CRDS ", contribution created in 1996 to reduce the social security deficit.

The specter of aborted negotiation of unemployment insurance is in everyone's mind: lack of agreement between the social partners, the government had taken over and changed the rules to the chagrin of the unions.

"I will take my responsibilities," says Edouard Philippe in his letter to the social partners.

© 2020 AFP