François Bayrou set, this Friday, January 17, at “the end of May” the objective of an agreement between the social partners on pensions, considering it “unimaginable that this problem so important for French society would be resolved solely through the ordeal of force”, at the end of the first meeting on the subject at the Ministry of Labor.
“This idea that they are going to share months and months of work, for me, it is a fruitful idea,” he rejoiced, deploring the state of “general blockage” in which France finds itself. “We are a country which does not have a budget, we are a country which does not have a majority, we are a country in which some people constantly clash with others […] and we cannot stop there because in the meantime the world is besieging us,” he said.
The Court of Auditors will deliver its conclusions on February 19
The promised negotiation, which François Bayrou described as a three-month “conclave”, will only really start at the end of a delicate mission of costing on the financing of the system, entrusted to the Court of Auditors, which must report its conclusions on February 19.
“This will allow us to have a vision of the future, explained the Prime Minister to the social partners gathered at the Ministry of Labor, to launch a difficult consultation on the much criticized pension reform, adopted forceps in 2023. The Prime Minister estimated before the social partners gathered this morning that this consultation was a “declaration of confidence, a strategic choice to trust in social dialogue”. “, he continued.
On the mission entrusted to the Court of Auditors, François Bayrou reiterated that he wanted to “establish the most indisputable figures possible” on the question of pension financing. Pierre Moscovici will come and present the conclusions to the social partners. For the head of government, the period between the launch of the consultation and the submission of the work of the financial magistrates must be “taken advantage of”.
“64 years old is no”
At the end of the meeting this Friday morning, the CFDT reaffirmed that there was a need for “a change in the legal age” of retirement. “We have always been extremely clear. 64 years is no. So there is a subject there”, declared the number 1 of the union Marylise Léon, who also highlighted the question of the arduousness of the work and equality between men and women. “We have set the framework, many elements of method and subject that can be invoked by everyone. I am optimistic,” added the general secretary of the first French union.
The meeting between government and social partners was “an opportunity to see the extent of the disagreements,” said the general secretary of the CGT, Sophie Binet. “The trade union organizations all spoke out to denounce the 64 years” and demand the repeal of the reform, continued Sophie Binet for whom, “today’s meeting confirmed that the mobilization page is not tour and that the pension reform cannot remain as it is”.