“The white year is actually a dark year for workers, for public services,” said the general secretary of the CGT, Sophie Binet, in France 2 this Tuesday, July 15. It refers to the government of the government of a “white year”, which consists in freezing everything or at least part of the state spending by 2026.
The Prime Minister must submit his proposals for the budget next year this Tuesday at 4 PM and that of a “White Year” would be to renew the identical expenses (some of them, such as pensions, social benefits or budgets of the ministries) compared to the year 2025, without taking into account inflation.
He also criticized the place granted to defense financing, with the announcement of Emmanuel Macron of an additional effort of 3.5 billion euros in 2026 and 3 billion in 2027.
According to her, this is to “finance exploding hospitals”, while “the French and the French do not have an additional explosion, they need Canada.”
“As if we were in the purpose of being unemployed”
Among the other government roads to find 40 billion euros in 2026, the idea of a new unemployment insurance reform, negotiated by social partners, does not seem to convince her anymore.
“There, we are asked to negotiate on unemployment insurance when an agreement was signed 6 months ago and that the Government did not even transpose it to the law,” he continues, emphasizing that “Emmanuel Macron has been president of the Republic, there have been at least four insurance move reforms.”
The idea of working more either does it find thanks to the eyes of the CGT. “I am scandalized,” Sophie Binet reacted. “A year has passed since the CGT warns of layoffs and commercial closures. Not only does the government refuse to raise a finger to avoid it, but explain that it would be necessary to work more as if we were being expressly unemployed,” he denounced.
Similarly, he punished the option to delete a vacation. “It is equivalent to working more to win less, that is, work for free,” he said.
Fiscal dividends and condition for companies
But then, how to reduce the public deficit, which reached 5.8% of GDP in 2024? The CGT demands “going to look for money wherever, namely shareholders, rentals and rich in the pocket that have never been so rich.”
“A report published a few days ago shows that inequalities have never been so important. Today, there are millions of French and French who cannot take their children on vacation and we are talking about imposing new sacrifices,” Sophie Binet punished.
Finally, the secretary general of the CGT requested more transparency in the help paid to companies. “The 211 billion euros in public aid, is the elephant in the room, we have never given so much money to our businesses, we cannot evaluate them, they are not conditioned and benefit from the large companies that pay dividends,” said Sophie Binet, who asks to reserve them for virtuous companies.
Source: BFM TV
