Pensions: strike notice from a "very large" inter-union Quai d'Orsay

Europe 1 with AFP 1:46 p.m., January 12, 2023

A strike notice has been filed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to join the national movement of January 19 against the government's pension reform project, the inter-union announced Thursday to AFP, stressing that it was a question of 'a first".

"The notice was filed on Wednesday evening. This is the first time that a very large inter-union from the Quai has joined a national slogan," she said.

The intersyndicale includes the CFTC, the CGT, the FSU, Solidaires, an Asam union which is affiliated with Unsa and the APMAE union, she said.

"The CFDT does not appear on the notice filed Wednesday evening but it should join the movement shortly or at least it should also call for a strike," said the inter-union.

A dreaded reform

She expects a strong mobilization among "the most modest and intermediate agents".

Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are particularly concerned that the government will abolish the system "of bonuses of three or six months per year" enjoyed by civil servants who have been posted outside Europe.

“This bonus would affect the agents of the MAE but not only, since all the civil servants, in particular of the ministry of defense, interior, national education and finances benefit from it”, explained to AFP a diplomat. of the inter-union.

This bonus makes it possible to compensate for the fact that in many cases spouses cannot work in certain countries and therefore see their own retirement reduced or delayed.

"The more general exasperation of French society"

"Beyond the pension reform, the mobilization of MAE agents illustrates the more general exasperation of French society", also commented the diplomat.

The eight main French unions announced on Tuesday a first day of strike and demonstration, January 19, to protest against the pension reform project, which includes raising the legal retirement age from 62 to 64 years old.

This first day must give "the start of a powerful mobilization on long-term pensions", explained Tuesday in a joint press release these unions.

Nearly 15,000 agents are employed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.