Pensions: "failure" of discussions at Matignon, the inter-union maintains its mobilization

Union leaders Laurent Berger (CFDT) and Sophie Binet (CGT) face Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, Wednesday, April 5, 2023 in Matignon. AP - Bertrand Guay

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

Always opposed to the pension reform, the inter-union had an appointment with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne in Matignon, Wednesday 5 April in the morning. The meeting was cut short. Noting "a failure" with the government's refusal to withdraw its text, the union leaders maintain their call to continue the protest.

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They had arrived together at the Hotel de Matignon for this meeting with the head of government. The eight union leaders, united under the same banner and opposed to the pension reform, were able to meet with Elisabeth Borne. And barely an hour after the start of the meeting, they came out and announced in one voice that the positions on both sides were unchanged.

The Prime Minister does not intend to respond to the call for the withdrawal of the project. And the inter-union, which does not envisage any other outcome than this, and does not intend to change its mind either. The interview is therefore "a failure", says one in the ranks of the unions.

« We will not return to the consultation table as if nothing had happened. »

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We have reiterated to the Prime Minister that there can be no other democratic outcome than the withdrawal of the text. The Prime Minister replied that she wanted to maintain her text, a serious decision, "said Cyril Chabanier (CFTC) on behalf of the inter-union on the steps of Matignon. "It is necessarily a failure when the Prime Minister does not make any overture on this discussion. (...) We appeal to the wisdom of the Constitutional Council which must listen to the just anger of workers," he added, while hammering that the unions refuse to "turn the page and open, as the government wishes, other sequences of consultations".

On Twitter, the CTFC speaks of a "serious decision" on the part of Elisabeth Borne. "This is why we will not return to the consultation table as if nothing had happened and call once again for the pure and simple withdrawal of the text," adds the union.

Laurent Berger, secretary general of the CFDT, makes the same observation: "The responsibility, the wisdom, was to listen to the social mobilization by removing the 64-year-olds. This is not the case. We call on workers to join the processions tomorrow," he announced, while a new day of interprofessional strike is announced for Thursday, April 6.

Sophie Binet, newly appointed general secretary of the CGT, spoke of a "useless" meeting with this "end of non-receiving" which amounts to "(us) sending back to the street". The inter-union "will be united to the end," she promises.

► Read also: on the front page of the press review this morning "How to unlock social dialogue?

(With AFP

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• France
• Employment and Labour
• Social issues
• Elisabeth Borne
• Unions