A little over a year after the start of an intense social conflict that marked the end of 2019, pension reform still seems to be postponed indefinitely.
Asked about Europe 1, the Minister of Labor, Élisabeth Borne, repeated that this reform was still necessary, but that it was not the priority of the executive.
Read also: The pension reform suspended due to the health crisis
"
Our country needs a pension reform, but the absolute priority is to overcome the
health and economic
crisis
", pleaded the minister, for whom this file is "
the priority
".
In the future, the subject of pensions could come back to the profession, but "
we must see what the
health, economic and social
situation will be
" in the coming months: "
if the context allows it, my will is to be able to resume discussions. with the social partners
”before the end of Emmanuel Macron's five-year term, in 2022, declared Élisabeth Borne.
The minister has maintained this position for several weeks, while the social partners, including the reformist Laurent Berger, continue to warn the executive against any return to this reform: the latter would risk leading to a "
social explosion
", according to the CFDT.
The reform of unemployment insurance, for its part, must be carried out to the end, assumed the minister, who wishes to "
resume discussions
" with the social partners before the end of January.
Borne says it is opposed to a takeover of Carrefour by Couche-Tard
Returning to the file of the possible merger between Carrefour and a Canadian distributor, Élisabeth Borne judged that the French group "
must be preserved in its strategy
".
This allows to have secure supply chains on the French territory.
On the same line as Bercy, the minister is therefore "in
favor of there being no questioning of the current shareholding
" of Carrefour.
A few hours before a new press conference by Jean Castex, Élisabeth Borne did not wish to comment on the upcoming announcements to support businesses.
However, she recalled that the aid made it possible to limit the economic consequences of the health crisis.
Welcoming the massive recourse to short-time working, she declared that "
this shock absorber [was going] to continue
", and that the State would protect "
as long as necessary
" the activities penalized by the crisis, closed totally or partially or failing to restart, such as hotels or events.
A strengthening of aid to businesses is expected by professionals this Thursday evening.
