unions angry at “contempt” for Emmanuel Macron’s speech

During his interview after bailing out little from the government – who had assumed its responsibility to pass the text of the pension reform –, French President Emmanuel Macron regretted “ that no trade union force has proposed a compromise “, particularly targeting the CFDT. He also castigated the “ factious “, THE “ violence “, and seemed to minimize the “ disputes “, asserting that” these disputes […] with each pension reform, we have them and sometimes in much higher numbers “.

The secretary general of the CFDT Laurent Berger accused the President of the Republic of “ denial ” and of “ lie », “ on the fact that there would be responsibility only in one camp, on the fact that the CFDT would have proposed to its congress an increase in the duration of contribution, […] on the fact that we [n’aurait] no counter-proposals “.

These words are “ mouth fuck ” and ” contempt » vis-à-vis « million people protesting “, To reacted the secretary general of the CGT Philippe Martinez. ” This interview sucks. It is : “everything is fine, I’m doing everything well, nothing is happening in the street”, he denounced in front of journalists in Tours.

Philippe Martinez also judged ” truly scandalous ” of ” compare the situation in France with what happened in the United States “following the election of Joe Biden and” the invasion of the Capitol by hordes of rather far-right Americans “.

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” It’s a provocation “, Added to his side François Hommeril, the boss of the union of executives, who said globally “ very shocked » by the interview of the Head of State. ” Me, I can’t take these lessons of responsibility anymore “, declared the president of the CFE-CGC. Evoking a ” scrached disk “, he added that Emmanuel Macron was doing” as if nothing had happened for two months, as if the Earth had stopped rotating “. ” He went to the moon, maybe he was with Thomas Pesquet, I don’t know, somewhere in the space shuttle… he gritted.

“ Truce of blabla »

Because the objective of the demonstrators remains the same : “ Enough blabla … we want the withdrawal “tweeted the secretary general of Unsa Laurent Escure, lapidary.

The president of the CFTC, Cyril Chabanier, denounced on the same social network a speech “ Aboveground “. ” We expected a session of self-criticism and questioning of the method, we were entitled to a satisfaction embellished with criticism towards the unions, the opposition, and generally all those who would be against the reform. The president stubbornly isolates himself “, he lambasted.

” Treating with contempt the formidable mobilization undertaken since January 19, the President of the Republic confirmed a hardline attitude on the pension reform “, for his part denounced FO in a press release.

The FSU pointed to an intervention “ irresponsible and provocative ” while Solidaires accused the president of having chosen “ rushing ahead “.

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” Anecdotal », « window dressing “, according to strikers

On a picket in Saint-Ouen (Seine-Saint-Denis), the workers of the incineration center do not take off, after having followed the interview, the ear glued to the mobile phone in front of their factory. Even if they expected nothing from the speech.

” It’s anecdotallaunches Nicolas, chemical technician on the waste management site. The government wants to move on to something else, to say “retirements are over, we’re moving on to something else”, but when he sees that people aren’t moving on, he’ll wonder what he should do. There, he is just playing politics. »

On the exceptional contribution of companies that have made exceptional profits for their employees, Stéphane is not convinced: ” It is an abuse of language, he does not want to tax. He uses the word superprofits as an element of language to say that he put it in his formula, but that is not going to change anything. It’s window dressing, we’re going to need facts, we have to act in the direction of people. »

They say they are continuing the movement, especially during parades on Thursday, where they expect to see even more protesters than two weeks ago.

Freshly received proposals

The unions warmly welcomed the president’s proposal to re-engage in a dialogue with the social partners on work in the coming weeks, Laurent Berger speaking of ” hollow words “. ” There is a grace period. There is even decency in the way you address your interlocutors “, he told AFP.

” I think to regain trust, if trust there was ever a day, […] three weeks is going to be short “, for his part affirmed Philippe Martinez.

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