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Coronavirus: Laurent Berger calls for freedom from the “fiscal dogma” of the 3% deficit

2020-03-11T10:38:17.383Z


The union representative called on the public authorities to invest more to support health services and the economy in general in the face of the epidemic.


Will the coronavirus overturn the European “3%” rule? On FranceInfo, the secretary general of the CFDT, Laurent Berger, estimated that the health crisis was " rather well managed " by the government so far. " We are in a moment where we must trust " the executive, he added. The union representative worried about the economic consequences of this episode, recalling that the epidemic weighed heavily on certain sectors, such as " tourism, events and aeronautics ". Under these conditions, the CFDT requests " support measures " to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on activity.

Read also: Coronavirus will cut growth "by several tenths of a point" in 2020

Saluting the courage of the health personnel engaged against the epidemic, the representative recalled the “ great suffering ” of the sector. To improve the working conditions of professionals, " we need hirings, positions, salary recognition " as well as taking into account the arduousness, he added.

In addition, the CFDT calls more broadly to get out of the “ fiscal dogma ” of the 3% deficit, in order to strengthen investments in public services. We have to be able to get out of the rules, especially in terms of debt because we are going to need investments in the economy, in our health system. There is nothing worse than a policy that does not look at reality, "insisted Laurent Berger. For the union, the Union must allow the Member States to invest massively to face the crisis and protect the activity from the expected slowdown. " I'm not the only one to say that, the OECD also says it, " he justified himself.

Read also: Why Germany's budget surplus annoys its partners so much

The union's opposition to the famous 3% rule has been known for a long time. In September 2017, already, Laurent Berger denounced the government's reluctance in budgetary matters, estimating that "we do not govern France with a quantified objective of 3% as standard ". The CFDT's commitment against this European rule is part of a debate that is constantly growing. For several months, voices have been raised - including that of Christine Lagarde, patron of the ECB or that of Emmanuel Macron - to demand an increase in public investment, in this period of low interest rates. The coronavirus crisis has brought back these calls, giving them a new sounding board.

CFDT calls for postponement of application of unemployment insurance reform

The strong man of the CFDT once again asked the government to quickly postpone the application of the new rules brought about by the unemployment insurance reform, scheduled for April 1. The changes will “ toughen the rules for precarious workers ”, particularly in the events or hotel and restaurant sector, even though the latter are the most affected by the drop in activity caused by the coronavirus. In these conditions, Laurent Berger fears that these precarious contracts will suffer a double penalty and be seen as an adjustment variable by employers.

" It is absolutely essential that the reform does not apply on April 1, " he said, adding that it would be " abnormal that we have measures to support businesses ", as part of the epidemic, not “ workers ” at the same time. The CFDT discussed this proposal with the boss of Bercy: " Bruno Le Maire understood the issue of this request, " said Laurent Berger, without specifying whether the minister would accede to his request.

Read also: Unemployment insurance goes green again

The Reform Union is not the only one to have called for a government delay. His request was indeed quickly relayed yesterday by Force Ouvrière and the CGT. " The economic situation created by the epidemic risks leading to a greater number of employees finding themselves in a situation of job seekers and therefore suffering the restrictive consequences of these measures ", worried FO in a communicated. The Montreuil power station, for its part, alerted against the " double punishment " that the precarious workers risked.

Pensions: CFDT criticizes “ irresponsibility ” of employers' organizations

Returning to the retirement issue, Laurent Berger assumed the union's decision to remain part of the funding conference, after the departure of FO and the CGT. The CFDT is concerned about a failure of the discussions between the union and employer representatives, which could lead to a takeover of the subject by the executive. " What would be dramatic is that we consider that the governance [of the future system] is no longer the business of the unions and the bosses, " he said.

Wind up against the establishment of a pivotal age, the union representative denounced a measure that would be " blind " and " deeply unfair ". " Companies must take their share of responsibility " in the negotiations so that a " cocktail of measures " can be defined, he argued. Raising the tone, Laurent Berger criticized the “ irresponsibility ” of employers' representatives, staunchly refusing any increase in employer contributions and not playing fair in the discussions. " Medef does not want to address the recognition of the arduousness and the effort of companies in the pension system ", he notably complained.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2020-03-11

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