Two candidacies emerged against that of the secretary general of the Ferc (Federation Research, Education and Culture): that of Olivier Mateu, the media and controversial secretary general of the Bouches-du-Rhône Departmental Union, and that of Céline Verzeletti, co-secretary general of the UFSE (Federal Union of State Trade Unions).

Big mouth assumed, at the forefront of the conflict of refineries in his department, Mr. Mateu is according to several officials and observers on a line too radical to gather a majority.

Olivier Mateu (C), secretary general of the CGT departmental union of Bouches-du-Rhône, participates in a demonstration on March 18, 2023 in Marseille © CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU / AFP/Archives

On Wednesday morning, he announced on Twitter that he had proposed to Celine Verzeletti "to lead this fight each as co-secretary general". To the press, he said he made this offer "a fortnight ago, three weeks", without having received a response.

Questioned by AFP, Celine Verzeletti did not respond to Mateu's proposal. But she said she was "solicited by many organizations to assume the responsibility of secretary general" and said she was "available for this in a clear and unifying collective construction approach".

"She is working to gather widely," one of her relatives told AFP.

Céline Verzeletti (C), co-secretary general of the UFSE, at the CGT congress on March 27, 2023 in Cournon d'Auvergne © JEFF PACHOUD / AFP

Things should settle down in the next few hours.

The National Confederal Committee (CCN), the union's "parliament" that brings together representatives of departmental unions and federations, is due to meet on Wednesday evening and draw up a list of members of the Confederal Executive Commission (CEC), submitted to the vote of the Congress on Thursday.

This CEC must then meet and agree on a new direction: members of the Confederal Bureau and Secretary General. SCC meets again and whether or not to approve this direction.

Martinez "worried"

The program provides for this second NCC to be held on Friday but some would like it to take place on Thursday evening, in order to allow time for possible back and forth between the CEC and the CCN.

The candidacy of Marie Buisson appeared weakened Monday and Tuesday, with many hostile speeches to the outgoing leadership, and a negative vote on her activity report, an unprecedented fact for the CGT and a major setback for Philippe Martinez.

"I cannot deny that the congress, the supreme body of the CGT, is today divided in two," the outgoing secretary general told the AEF agency.

Outgoing CGT General Secretary Philippe Martinez listens to a speech at the start of the CGT congress on March 27, 2023 in Cournon d'Auvergne © JEFF PACHOUD / AFP

"I am very attached to my organization and inevitably, what is happening worries me (...) a divided congress is not good for the image of the CGT, but also for trade unionism in general," he added.

According to a member of the outgoing leadership, the withdrawal of Marie Buisson is "not envisaged". "It is a conception of the CGT that we carry (...) We do not want to give up this conception of the CGT, so we will continue to carry it to the end," said this source.

The outcome of the CGT congress could have repercussions on its orientations, and on its place within the inter-union which has been leading the battle against the pension reform for months, and has raised a social movement of a scale not seen in decades.

"There has been, during the debates, criticism of the inter-union or of our relations with the CFDT, and I do not know how this will evolve," Martinez told the AEF.

Several delegates have criticised in recent days the support given by Mr Martinez to the request for "mediation" on the pension dispute issued to the government by the inter-union.

Support of Mr. Mateu, the secretary general of the federation of chemistry, Emmanuel Lépine, considered that the CGT should not go with the inter-union to the appointment proposed by the Prime Minister next week. "It's a waste of time and it makes those who are still in the fight today believe that they have been abandoned," he said.

© 2023 AFP