Reforming the pension system will create “discontent”, warned the French unions

This content was published on Mar 16, 2023 – 09:28
March 16, 2023 – 09:28
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Paris, March 16 (EFE) They warned the French unions.

“Think about the future of our workers, but also about our democracy,” Laurent Berger, Secretary General of the French Democratic Confederation of Labor (CFDT), asked in an interview Thursday with France Info public channel.

A few hours before the crucial but uncertain vote that will take place today in the Senate and the National Assembly to approve or not the controversial bill, Berger stressed that even if the reform is approved, “the feeling that it is unfair to bear” in French society.

Berger, who is one of the union leaders leading the anti-pension reform movement (despite the fact that the CFDT has supported reforms deemed necessary on other occasions), considered that “the feeling of contempt will unfortunately be exploited by populists and, in particular, by the far right.” “.

The trade union leader stated that this is an issue that workers’ representatives “fear” because they know that what drives the extreme right is not “social” interest but “identity” and ultra-nationalist issues, embodied in France in particular by Marine Le Pen.

And regarding the unions’ strategy based on what happens during the day in the parliamentary chambers, Berger stressed that the appeal movement that has been promoted since announcing the details of the reform in January will continue even if the text is approved. For months is not a viable strategy.

The main focus of the reform promoted by Macron is to delay the minimum retirement age by two years, from the current 62 to 64.

After a convoluted first move through parliament, a joint committee of the Senate and National Assembly approved on Wednesday a joint version of the text that must be ratified today in both houses.

A vote in the Senate, where the right-wing holds a majority, is not expected to be a stumbling block for the ruling party, but a vote in the National Assembly – which previously failed to vote on the entire bill in first reading – is expected to be very close despite Conservative support from Los Republicanos.

Meanwhile, total or partial suspensions continue today in various economic sectors, and for example, 20% of flights at Orly Airport in Paris were canceled today again due to the controllers’ strike. EFE

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