Paris (AFP)
New tensions on the front of pension reform: the CGT issued an "ultimatum" to the government on Wednesday, threatening to leave the financing conference responsible for bringing the system back to balance by 2027 and whose work has started in pain Tuesday.
The secretary general of the CGT, Philippe Martinez explained that after having presented their proposals the day before "the ball was in the court of the government" and that he awaited his response by the next meeting of the conference devoted specifically to financing "March 10".
A position that Céline Verzeletti, Confederal Secretary of the CGT, qualified a little earlier, on BFMTV, of "ultimatum".
In a statement published Wednesday morning, the CGT had specified that without response of the government to its proposals (increase in wages, equality between men and women, etc.), it would question "next week" its "governing bodies" as to "the relevance of maintaining its presence "at this conference initially suggested by the CFDT and conducted in parallel with the examination of the bill for the future universal system of point pensions in the National Assembly.
A form of back pedaling after comments made even earlier by the union's retirement negotiator, Catherine Perret. "The CGT has decided to leave the funding conference and organize" with the unions opposed to the pension law (FO, Solidaires, FSU, CFE-CGC) "its real funding conference", she said on Radio Classique.
"I regret that a large representative French union is slamming the door for this type of dialogue", immediately reacted on RMC / BFMTV Laurent Pietraszewski, the Secretary of State for Pensions.
So-called reformist unions have also deplored the attitude of the CGT, the discussions to find by the end of April alternatives to the pivotal age - which would gradually reach 64 years between 2022 and 2027 for a full retirement - in order to fill an expected deficit of 12 billion euros in 2027.
"It is a pity, some like us have worked to bring a maximum of recommendations", reacted Wednesday the CFTC negotiator Pascale Coton, the day after the first meeting of the working group devoted to the financing of the system in the short term and the day before of the first session on the governance of the future regime.
Opposed from the start to the very principle of the reform, "the CGT has been out of the game for a long time", put Frédéric Sève (CFDT) into perspective.
- "Counter-conference" -
"Everyone has an interest in finding an acceptable compromise", added the Unsa negotiator, Dominique Corona, referring to "a slightly complicated negotiation entry" where "everyone is laying red lines everywhere", and notably Medef. His boss, Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux, reminded Wednesday in Les Echos of his desire to measure age.
On the majority side too, the stakes are raised. The trade unions know that they "collectively have an obligation to achieve results," said one of the bill's co-rapporteurs, Jacques Maire (LREM), on Wednesday. "How do you want actors who did not succeed in this start-up phase to then be entrusted with the 320 billion of the universal regime?", He added during a press conference.
"The social partners have already shown that they are capable of managing a points scheme" with Agirc-Arrco (supplementary pensions for private sector employees), annoyed Pascale Coton.
The conference is not an "exercise in management but in founding calibration", added Mr. Sève, recalling the responsibility of the employer state in the projected deficit.
For their part, the unions opposed to the reform are trying to keep up the pressure by organizing a tenth day of interprofessional demonstrations on Thursday, FO reserving the right to leave the conference "at the appropriate time", according to a press release published on Wednesday.
"We are in the preparation phase of a conference whose name is not yet defined, which could be called + counter-conference +", said AFP Eric Beynel, spokesperson for Solidaires, not invited to the one organized by the government.
bow-ac-chl-dec / lum / it
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