"49.3, we don't want it!": The 53rd Congress of the CGT opened Monday in the agglomeration of Clermont-Ferrand in a stormy atmosphere, against the backdrop of the deep divisions of the union, and an uncertainty persistent on the name of who will succeed Philippe Martinez.
Candidate chosen by the management, Marie Buisson is challenged by Céline Verzeletti, unofficial candidate close to the federations which dispute her line, as well as by Olivier Mateu, the media and controversial secretary general of the Departmental Union of Bouches-du-Rhône.
A radical opponent of Mr. Martinez's line, he had seen his candidacy blocked by a provision of the National Confederal Committee (CCN) intended to promote parity.
But the congressmen decided to remove this condition from the rules of Congress, making Mr. Mateu's election possible again - even if in the opinion of many officials and observers his line is too minority to muster.
“Although it has been a little tumultuous, it is proof that delegates are not ready to be dispossessed of their congress and I think they have set things right the right way,” Mateu commented. with the press.
At the start of the afternoon, around twenty people had forced their way into the hall of the Grande Halle d'Auvergne in Cournon-d'Auvergne, including Mr. Mateu.
"We have a delegation of comrades from the Paris region that some wish to prevent from entering the congress (...) We believe that the mandates and votes commission did not respect the rules, that's why the delegates are there to ask the congress to decide", explained to the press Amar Lagha, secretary general of the Commerce and Services Federation.
Member of the mandates and votes commission, Sandy Penne deplored "the arrival of comrades from the trade federation who were not mandated".
According to him, conflicts over the name of certain delegates emerged between the Trade Federation and the Departmental Union of Paris, but the question was settled democratically, and the Federation, which went to court, was "dismissed".
Shortly after the start of the debates, a new rise in tension when the composition of the Mandates and Votes Commission was submitted for approval by the delegates. Delegates positioned themselves on either side of the podium to demand that the votes of the congressmen who had voted by a show of hands be recounted, shouting "49.3, we don't want it!".
"The commission is arranged before the start of the congress, so we can suspect any scheming that can happen behind the level of the votes, knowing that these are electronic votes", denounced the secretary general of the federation of Chemistry, Emmanuel Lépine .
The organizers on the podium eventually agreed to recount, and the commission was approved with 416 votes in favour, 408 against and 89 abstentions.
The delegates muted their divisions during Marie Buisson's opening speech, an opportunity to denounce once again the government's desire to push back the legal retirement age to 64.
Ms. Buisson said that Elisabeth Borne had reconnected with the CGT, "not to tell us that she is renouncing this unjust, unjustifiable and unjustified reform, but to wish us a good congress".
"So, Madam Prime Minister, the CGT is there and you can let her know, my comrades, that we won't let go!", She continued to loud applause.
The delegates decided to suspend their work on Tuesday morning, the time to participate in the demonstration which will take place in the center of Clermont-Ferrand at 10:00 a.m., as part of the 10th day of mobilization against the reform.
27/03/2023 21:01:58 - Cournon-d'Auvergne (France) (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
