France: Élisabeth Borne and the unions, an appointment for nothing?

Audio 01:16

Élisabeth Borne, French Prime Minister, at the Palais de Matignon, March 27, 2023. AFP - LUDOVIC MARIN

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

On the eve of the 11th day of mobilization against the pension reform, meeting at Matignon this Wednesday, April 5. Élisabeth Borne receives the social partners. Employers' organizations at the end of the day, but especially the inter-union in the morning. The eight unions in coalition against the reform hope to put the issue of pensions at the heart of the discussions. The Prime Minister says she is "listening", but not sure that this is enough.

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Behind the scenes, the bets are on: how long will the unions stay at the appointment that was proposed to them by Elisabeth Borne this Wednesday?

They come to talk about pensions, only pensions, when the Prime Minister seeks to renew the dialogue without going back on the substance of the reform.

The tone of the meeting is set by Laurent Brun, general secretary of the CGT-Cheminots, new number two of the union: "If Elisabeth Borne refuses to withdraw her reform and she wants to consider other subjects, well, we will leave her to speak alone, he warns. It will once again show that the government does not provide an answer, does not take into account, despises.

►Listen: Pension reform: slogans, stars of the demonstrations

"We're going to go and discuss pensions"

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No truce, no suspension, no mediation ", says the new leadership of the CGT, while on the side of the CFDT, without withdrawal of the reform, the other subjects can not be addressed, also estimated Laurent Berger, on France Info, a few days ago.

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We will go and discuss pensions, he assured. I will go by explaining why this reform is a dead end, why it is receiving so many disputes, and why we must find a way out that is not to bet, as we can imagine today on the part of the government, on the rotting of a social movement.

A way out for the government as for the unions, with rates of strikers decreasing, after two and a half months of protest for the moment without result. At the CGT, we are worried: "Without victory on pensions, it will be impossible to remobilize on the next reforms," slips a trade unionist.

At the Palais Bourbon, the left tries to stay united

The union of the left and the ecologists is trying to maintain pressure on the executive. The Nupes has multiplied the initiatives this Tuesday, but without managing to hide some dissensions.

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We were rather solid and convincing, "confided the boss of the socialist deputies, Boris Vallaud, after the hearing of the Nupes delegation by the Constitutional Council.

The delegation scrambled to convince the "wise men" to censure the pension reform. A collective effort that welcomes Cyrielle Châtelain, president of the ecologist group in the Assembly.

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We are determined, we are constant and we are totally aware that as for the trade union front, political unity against the pension reform is the key to victory. " she said.

Except that this unit showed its cracks on Tuesday. Ecologists, socialists and rebels have thus dried the appointment given by the communists to submit to the Élysée a letter asking Emmanuel Macron to withdraw the reform.

This did not please the leader of the PCF deputies, André Chassaigne. "I'm not disappointed, I'm sorry," he says. Were there considerations that I would call metaphysical that caused them to change their minds? Maybe.

The cause is above all the repeated criticisms of the communist leader Fabien Roussel on the strategy of the Nupes, too closed according to him. And if the rebellious deputy Hadrien Clouet prefers to laugh – "it's a great day, you have the Nupe at every corner of Paris, it's great!" – the smiles are tense.

A good part of the communist deputies will boycott the seminar of the Nupes organized this Wednesday evening. A meeting intended precisely to talk about strategy and future of the alliance.

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Read on on the same topics:

• Elisabeth Borne
• Unions
• France
• Social issues
• French politics