Paris (AFP)

The president of the National Council of Bars (CNB), Christiane Feral-Schuhl, praised on Wednesday the "intact determination" of the lawyers, who entered their third week of a hard strike against the pension reform, noting a dialogue deaf people with the government.

"The government is coming into force. There is currently no room for negotiation: the universal regime will be imposed on lawyers and it will be detrimental to our economic model and to access to the law," said Ms. Féral- Schuhl in his greetings to the press.

The reform project notably plans to double retirement contributions (from 14 to 28%) for lawyers earning less than 40,000 euros per year, and pensions, currently at least 1,400 euros net, would drop to 1,000 euros, according to the CNB.

The only concession envisaged, the Keeper of the Seals Nicole Belloubet proposed "a reduction in non-pension contributions" to compensate for the increase in pension levies.

A lure for black dresses. The CNB considers that it has no valid guarantee because "any adjustment to the universal regime may be contrary to the Constitution: this is what the Council of State says," according to Féral-Schuhl.

"I am dumbfounded by the capacity of the state to want to destroy what works and to create gas factories", she said, defending an autonomous "united" regime which "does not cost a euro" d public money.

Once again, she denounced the simulations presented by the government, based on an "imaginary lawyer" who would start his career at 23 years with 43,000 euros net of annual income while a lawyer swears an oath on average at 27/28 years and that a third of the profession earns less than 30,000 euros net per year, according to the CNB.

"This profession has never been so close to the break with government," she said.

The CNB, which represents the 70,000 French lawyers, voted unanimously on Saturday to continue the strike movement, renewed in certain bars for an unlimited period.

The mobilization of lawyers throughout the country has led to the embolism of the courts, with up to 80 to 90% of the criminal hearings returned to Nantes, Grenoble or Nice. A situation that is starting to arouse criticism among magistrates who deplore an extension of the time for judgment and a work overload that will be difficult to absorb.

"We are awaiting proposals," said representatives of the lawyers, before a further meeting "to be confirmed" on Sunday with the Prime Minister.

The CNB calls profession to participate in a national demonstration in Paris Monday, February 3 with the collective SOS pensions, which brings together a large majority of liberal professions.

© 2020 AFP