The trade union battle against the pension reform is not over. The secretary general of the CGT, Sophie Binet, reaffirms this Friday that she wants to obtain the withdrawal of the text, despite its validation by the Constitutional Council and its promulgation.
Questioned on franceinfo, the union leader calls "to multiply actions and mobilize massively on June 6". This date will mark the 14th day of mobilization and demonstrations against the reform. In reference to June 6, 1944, D-Day, where Allied forces landed in Normandy to liberate France and part of Europe from Nazi Germany, Sophie Binet declares that, "for D-Day we call to land the pension reform".
🗣 Pensions ➡️ "We call for multiplying initiatives, actions, to win the withdrawal of this reform," says Sophie Binet. "Parliamentarians are taking matters into their own hands. MPs must make it clear that they have understood what is happening in the country"pic.twitter.com/tcXfRrulE4
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) May 12, 2023
The head of the CGT intends to take advantage of her meeting next week with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne to renew her request. "The pension reform must be withdrawn. It affects each of us because it takes away two years. After a moment of hesitation, the CGT finally decided to participate in the bilateral meetings that the government proposed to five unions (CFDT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC and CGT). They will take place next Tuesday and Wednesday.
The "scandalous" attitude of the National Rally
Sophie Binet looked further and referred to the text that will be presented to the National Assembly on 8 June. Led by the Liot group (Libertés, Indépendants, Outre-mer et Territoires), it aims to repeal the pension reform. "If the Assembly voted for this text, it would be a thunderclap. This would mean that there is a parliamentary shuttle on the repeal of the text, "says the unionist. A parliamentary shuttle is the period when a legislative text goes back and forth between the Assembly and the Senate pending the adoption of a final version. "We would call on the government to immediately suspend the reform. It is very important that MPs play their role on June 8," adds Sophie Binet.
She also addressed a severe tackle to the National Rally on the issue of pensions. "The National Rally explains to us that to finance pensions it would be necessary for women to have more children and exclude immigrants. This is outrageous! Women are not bellies. »
"A machine of disappointment," tackles Dussopt
On the side of the government, the Minister of Labor, Olivier Dussopt, who carried the text on pensions, assured this Friday that the text of repeal of June 8 is "a machine of disappointment". "As a matter of principle, when a bill comes to the Assembly, it can be adopted, it is the democratic principle. But if it passes, the text goes to the Senate and there will be no majority to adopt it, "he details on Europe 1, recalling that the Senate voted the pension reform.
"The reality is that with this type of initiative posed by opposition parliamentarians, it can only do one thing, it is a machine of disappointment," according to @olivierdussopt about the bill to repeal the pension reform of the Liot group#Europe1 pic.twitter.com/ae48hBAvEB
— Europe 1 (@Europe1) May 12, 2023
According to the minister, "it is a text that offers no solution". The Liot group's bill has an impact on public finances of "15 billion euros per year". "How do we finance this? Do we let deficits slip? Are we increasing the debt? Are we saving money elsewhere? The Liot Group and all those who want to vote for the text must tell us where the money is being taken. »
If contributions increased, this would result, according to him, in an average increase "between 700 and 1000 euros" for all French people. As for increasing taxation on tobacco, as proposed by Liot, "if we followed their reasoning, the package goes to 20 euros," says the minister. "Let them assume it. This is called purchasing power. »
