Quick, deflate the controversy.
This is what the CGT seems to want to do, four days after its energy branch threatened to cut the power to the offices of elected officials supporting the pension reform.
Faced with the strong reactions aroused within the political class - and the very firm condemnations formulated by the executive - the secretary general of the CGT Philippe Martinez tried to temper the remarks of some of his colleagues.
"
It was more symbolic than a real threat
," he said on the set of Public Senate.
“
It was to show the discontent that exists, especially in these professions.
And I insist because they are often treated, in particular by the government, as privileged
", continued the trade unionist, recalling on many occasions the sense of "
responsibility
" which in his eyes animates the employees in charge of the energy.
“
At this time when there is a storm, who is working day and night in difficult conditions to restore electricity to users?
“, he defended.
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According to Philippe Martinez, this modus operandi is not "
in our habits
" either.
Several examples can however be recalled, like the power cuts targeting municipalities in the south-east of Paris in 2020, in opposition to the pension reform carried out by Edouard Philippe.
Two years earlier, threats had also been made against companies planning layoffs.
To the question, will there be voluntary power cuts?
Philippe Martinez did not provide a precise answer either.
Instead, the secretary general denounced "
a completely absurd debate
", explaining that "
when people no longer work
" there are, necessarily, "
consequences on production
".
"
There will be less electricity production
," he said.
Adding once again that “
these are very responsible employees whose mission is to serve the citizens
”, and that they will therefore favor “
what is public good
”.
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Anyway, Philippe Martinez seems confident about the support that the French will bring them, since they see in the polls that they are
“overwhelmingly against this reform
”.
“
All these controversies are to divert the substantive debate
,” he regretted.