Find a “constructive compromise and responsibility”, as Emmanuel Macron hailed it at the start of the evening… While remaining straight in your boots on the financial balance of the retirement system. It is this equation that Edouard Philippe wanted to solve this Saturday. In a letter sent to the unions, he said he was "willing to withdraw" the pivotal age of 64 from the pension reform project, provided that the social partners proposed other "measures to achieve financial equilibrium by 2027 ".
And this, on a tight schedule: if no solution emerges by "the end of April 2020", which corresponds to the time of parliamentary debate, the government threatens to restore "the measures necessary to achieve balance by 2027 "by order. "I want to be perfectly clear on this point: I will take my responsibilities", writes the Prime Minister, martial.
On the flip side, the government is therefore taking a step towards the CFDT, which has been calling for a pension funding conference for the past week. On the face side, he puts pressure to come up with proposals in the spring (Editor's note: the CFDT initially proposed the period late July-late September) while reserving the right to legislate authoritatively by ordinance. Which would allow him to spare himself a tedious debate in Parliament where this question of the pivotal age divides even within LREM.
"We had to find an exit door for blocking"
Banco for reformist unions, like Unsa. At the CFDT, we are betting that, even if the discussions fail, the government will not dare to put the pivotal age at 64 on the table. “We had to find an exit door for blocking. We only talked about that and not the real subjects: the hardship, progressive retirement, minimum pensions ... It gives space for real subjects, "says Frédéric Sève, secretary general of the central in charge of pensions .
Medef says it will participate fully in the funding conference in order to "find the right age measures". It must be said that, in his letter, the Prime Minister strictly framed the scope of the discussions: neither a reduction in pensions, nor an increase in the cost of labor will be possible. "When I tell you that this is a good compromise for us ...", smiles a deputy LREM who rejoices: "Originally, the CFDT did not want our parametric funding measures. There, she accepts a funding conference, the conclusions of which will be incorporated into the systemic bill ”.
Call for new mobilization days
This is the first time since the start of the social crisis that the government has managed to crack the union front of those who oppose reform. But the political front does not give in. Because the government does not change a comma to its universal points reform project in which, moreover, and it is recalled in the letter from Edouard Philippe, an "age of equilibrium" will be defined by the social partners.
"So I was right. The pivotal age only existed in order to be able to be withdrawn and pass the pill of a reform which will make millions of retired people precarious. This manipulation was sewn with white thread! Exclaims Marine Le Pen on Twitter. In tune, the boss of the PS is surprised that "we are asked to vote for a final reform in exchange for a temporary withdrawal of the pivotal age". On the right, the secretary general of the Republicans assures that "the reforming courage of Emmanuel Macron is a courage of ballooning" and that "with the abandonment of the balanced budget, the French will have had strikes without the reform".
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The intersyndicale indeed calls for new inter-professional days of mobilization on January 14, 15 and 16. "Following today's announcements, not only is the pivotal age not removed, but the Prime Minister confirms his determination to lower the retirement age by refusing any increase in social security contributions", they get angry in a press release. "Now that we have set foot in the door, we are going to push it open," says Fabien Villedieu, union delegate SUD Rail. The withdrawal of the pivotal age is good news for us. It means that our mobilization pays. It motivates us to continue. "
