Meeting between Borne and the unions: government differences on the agenda

The question of raising the legal retirement age to 64 will not be on the menu of the planned meeting between Elisabeth Borne and the inter-union, warned Wednesday the Minister for Relations with Parliament Franck Riester and the President of the Modem, Francois Bayrou

Meeting between Borne and the unions: government differences on the agenda

The question of raising the legal retirement age to 64 will not be on the menu of the planned meeting between Elisabeth Borne and the inter-union, warned Wednesday the Minister for Relations with Parliament Franck Riester and the President of the Modem, Francois Bayrou.

The Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin and the Minister Delegate for Transport Clément Beaune on the contrary affirmed that "all the subjects" would be discussed during this meeting, the date of which has still not been recorded.

The postponement of the age from 62 to 64, "this is the heart of the reform on which, from the start, there is no agreement", noted Mr. Riester on Public Senate, wishing that the exchange is organized around "subjects on which we agree".

"The 64 years are in the text", added François Bayrou on France 2, "we cannot change the line at this point". But for him, "there is matter to discuss" with Laurent Berger, the general secretary of the CFDT, the first French union.

The High Commissioner for Planning, an ally of Emmanuel Macron, recalled that "the government has said: no one will work over 43 to have their full pension rights. So you see that the positions are not so far apart in truth".

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin for his part affirmed on RTL to have "understood that we could talk about all subjects starting with pensions".

"I believe that the agenda will be very broad", because "everyone wants to talk about all the subjects", abounded on BFMTV the Minister Delegate for Transport Clément Beaune.

Matignon's invitation does not include any agenda.

The unions, united for more than two months against the reform and the lowering of the retirement age to 64, were invited to Matignon after a 10th day of mobilization on Tuesday.

"We will go. We talked about it between us", declared Laurent Berger, adding: "What is certain is that we will go and discuss pensions. And work because it goes with it, but (above all) retirements !"

But uncertainties remain about the presence of the CGT, which is currently holding a stormy congress to appoint the successor to outgoing secretary general Philippe Martinez.

"If Ms. Borne only creates a media scene, (if) she has nothing to say on the substance of the subject (...), it will come back (to her) like a boomerang in the face" with union leaders declaring "on the steps of Matignon" that "she does not want to hear anything", warned LFI deputy Alexis Corbière on BFM Business.

On the right, Aurélien Pradié (LR) also estimated on Sud Radio that the government could not "step over this pension reform". "If the government accepts the dialogue it is to really dialogue not to pretend", warned the deputy.

03/29/2023 22:27:42 -         Paris (AFP) -         © 2023 AFP