Elisabeth Borne and the unions, a meeting for nothing?

Elisabeth Borne and the unions a meeting for nothing

On the eve of the 11th day of mobilization against the pension reform, meeting at Matignon this Wednesday, April 5. Elisabeth Borne receives the social partners. Employer organizations at the end of the day, but especially the inter-union in the morning. The eight unions united against the reform hope to put the pension issue at the heart of the discussions. The Prime Minister said to herself, listening “, but not sure that is enough.

Behind the scenes, the bets are on: how long will the unions stay at the meeting offered to them by Élisabeth Borne this Wednesday?

They come to talk about pensions, only pensions, when the Prime Minister seeks to renew the dialogue without going back to the substance of the reform.

The tone of the meeting is set by Laurent Brun, general secretary of the CGT-Cheminots, new number two of the union: “ If Elisabeth Borne refuses to withdraw her reform and she wants to consider other subjects, well, we will let her talk on her own, he warns. It will once again demonstrate that the government does not provide an answer, does not take into account, misunderstands. »

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“We are going to discuss pensions”

No truce, no suspension, no mediation “, Says the new direction of the CGT, while on the side of the CFDT, without withdrawal of the reform, the other subjects cannot be approached, also estimated Laurent Berger, on France Info, a few days ago.

We are going to discuss pensions, he assured. I will go on to explain why this reform is a dead end, why it is attracting so many protests, and why we have to find a way out that is not to bet, as we can imagine today from the government, on the decay of a social movement. »

A way out to find for the government as for the unions, with the rate of strikers which decrease, after two and a half months of protest for the moment without result. At the CGT, we are worried: “ Without a victory over pensions, it will be impossible to remobilize on the next reforms “Slips a trade unionist.

At the Palais Bourbon, the left tries to stay united

The union of the left and environmentalists is trying to keep the pressure on the executive. The Nupes multiplied the initiatives on Tuesday, but without managing to conceal certain dissensions.

We were pretty solid and convincing “, confided the boss of the socialist deputies, Boris Vallaud, after the hearing of the Nupes delegation by the Constitutional Council.

The delegation struggled to convince the “wise men” to censure the pension reform. A collective effort welcomed by Cyrielle Châtelain, president of the environmental group at the Assembly.

We are determined, we are constant and we are fully aware that as for the union front, political unity against pension reform is the key to victory. “, did she say.

Except that this unit showed its cracks on Tuesday. Ecologists, socialists and rebellious have thus dried up the appointment given by the communists to deposit at the Elysée a letter asking Emmanuel Macron to withdraw the reform.

This did not please the leader of the PCF deputies, André Chassaigne. ” I’m not disappointed, I’m sorry, he throws. Were there considerations that I would call metaphysical that made them change their minds? Maybe. »

The cause, it is especially the repeated criticisms of the communist leader Fabien Roussel on the strategy of Nupes, too closed according to him. And if the rebellious deputy Hadrien Clouet prefers to laugh about it – “ it’s a great day, you have the Nupe in every corner of Paris, it’s great! –, the smiles are strained.

A good part of the Communist deputies will thus boycott the Nupes seminar organized this Wednesday evening. A meeting intended precisely to discuss strategy and the future of the alliance.

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