French trade unions this Saturday accused the government of “playing with fire” by ignoring strong social protests against pension changes and reforms, saying the position of the French executive is “a provocation”.
“What else needs to be done?” Philippe Martínez, leader of the CGT trade union federation, wondered ahead of the demonstration sweeping through Paris this afternoon, on what is now the seventh day of major national mobilizations since January against changing the system of reforms.
Martínez went further and challenged Emmanuel Macron’s government to consult the citizens, if it is so sure that its initiative is necessary and the only possible one.
“Today we can only say: if [Macron] is so sure of himself that he consults the French,” said the leader of the CGT, reacting to the position of the French president in the face of street protests by trade unions, who this week asked in vain to be received at the Élysée.
Laurent Berger, secretary general of the French Democratic Workers’ Federation (CFDT), also stated during today’s demonstration that those who lead the country must “give up this form of social movement denial”, and also called for consultations with the French .
“By playing with fire so much, nonsense is made”warned the trade unionist.
The unions said they expect a long day of fighting because support for the social movement against pension reform is, in Martínez’s words, “more than absolute”.
They also said that despite the parliamentary process moving at an accelerated pace, the battle is not lost and promised to continue the protest on the streets, but without falling into “violence and radicalism”, Berger assured.
The most important change proposed by Macron concerns raising the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64, something that unions are opposed to.
The main argument of the executive is to ensure the financial equilibrium of the pension system in 2030, stating that if nothing is done, the shortfall will be around €150 million within 10 years.
The bill is being debated in the Senate, where France’s Labor Minister, Olivier Dussopt, announced on Friday that it would use a constitutional mechanism to overcome the hundreds of amendments tabled by the opposition with the aim of blocking the procedure and calling a vote on the proposal. to enforce. text as a whole.
In practice, the use of the constitutional article will allow for the vote in the upper house – where the right has the majority – of the text, which will contain only the amendments proposed by Macron’s executive.
This avoids the scenario of reaching the end of the term given to the Senate, which ends at midnight on Sunday, preventing the Senate from ruling on the reform.
The left in the opposition strongly criticized this measure, as did the trade unions.
Source: DN
