Le secretaire général de la CFDT Laurent Berger appelé lundi le gouvernement à un “bougé très fort sur les retraites”, ajoutant qu’il n’accepterait “la main tendue” d’Elisabeth Borne aux syndicats, que si la réforme était “mise sideways”.
“We need a very strong government movement on the issue of pensions, i.e. it has to say ’64 years will not apply‘”, said the union leader, interviewed on France 2, on the eve of a new day of mobilization.
“I am concerned (about) the situation,” he added. “I call on the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister to listen that there is a way out, but that this requires making a move on their part,” he said, recalling having proposed an “opening” by pausing and discussing “for six months and work and pensions”.
While Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne reached out to unions and political parties on Sunday to “calm down”, Laurent Berger asked: “Which outstretched hand is it? I’m sorry to put it that way, but where is the outstretched hand on the issue of pensions? (Now) that is the current issue”, he replied.
“A climate that is dangerous”
“If the outstretched hand is to discuss work and pensions again, and leaving aside for the moment the reform that was approved by 49-3, which is not validated by the Constitutional Council (…), if these two issues are about the table, we are going to discuss”, he added.
“You cannot imagine that there were two million people on the streets last Thursday”, on the one hand, and “that we are not going to discuss pensions if they invite us to discuss” on the other hand.
While the government’s recourse to 49.3 to get its reform through Parliament has resulted in a toughening of defiance, punctuated with daily skirmishes, Laurent Berger described: “a climate that is dangerous” and “anger that is rising.” He called for “not to fall into the madness that can take over this country with violence but also with very deep social resentment.”
“It’s better to lower the temperature than stir things up,” he said.
Asked if the mobilization day on Tuesday will be the last, he replied: “no, it is not necessarily the last (…) We will at least go to the constitutional council.” His decision is expected in three weeks.
Source: BFM TV
