SERVICE. Laurent Berger on pension reform: “I call on the government to show wisdom”

In his address to the French, Emmanuel Macron confirmed the implementation of the pension reform at the end of 2023. He will not give up.

When the President of the Republic was sworn in, he said two things that seemed open to dispute to me: first, he stated that the pension system was in a very critical state and that the retirement age should be raised. deal with it. Of course, there is a deficit, but it is one of the lowest deficits that existed before the reforms. In 2003, the question of the viability of the system was raised, the same in 2013, not so today, there is no fire in the house. Moreover, the president said, “What we’re doing is going to make the system fairer,” but that’s a lie and an arch-lie, because we’re primarily punishing early adopters. What needs to be done is the planned 2019 i.e. systemic reform, the universal system that the CFDT still advocates. The reform as it is now proposed will create a lot of social conflict.

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Elizabeth Borne received you this afternoon. What will you say to him?

We will do what we have done from the start of this consultation: reiterate that there is no need to raise the legal age and that there are other possible funding measures. If we raised the employment rate of the elderly by ten points, which is around 30% today, we would fill the deficit. Therefore, we ask that criteria be defined, negotiations on the employment of seniors in companies be made mandatory, and companies that do not perform well, for example, be subject to sanctions. We will then continue to fight on issues that concern us, such as minimum contribution or hardship, and campaign for long careers as well. But age is a red line.

Whether you approve this text or not, it will pass thanks to 49.3, what can you do?

If there are announcements on January 10 that the legal age will be pushed back to 65 or 64, the CFDT, like other unions, will call on workers to mobilize against the measure. I say this responsibly. Everyone knows who CFDT is. We have always stood our ground when the system was threatened, not today. Courage is not going after the government when it goes wrong, courage is standing up for one’s convictions and therefore calling the workers to mobilize in this particular case.

How do you hope to mobilize when SNCF, RATP and the electricity and gas industries are not bothered by the grandfather dam? Only new arrivals will be affected…

These sectors will also be affected, but beyond that, I believe there will be a lot of discontent. How will it be expressed? I don’t know, I’m not a social meteorologist, but it can take several forms: mobilizations on the street – and we will call for demonstrations – it can be in the form of sectoral mobilization – in professional branches or companies – it can be. may take the form of weekend civic mobilization, but it may also take the form of discontent within a very unhealthy population. We must pay attention to the situation of the country, there is great democratic and social fragility. I urge the government to be wise.

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During the month of December in the SNCF, and also during the doctors’ strike, the traditional unions were stuck with collectives with no formal organizational claims, does that worry you?

I think this is a warning that there is a form of dysfunction in society that can go beyond institutional frameworks. This is one more reason to listen to what the trade unions have to say. But I will do everything so that we do not fall into the form of violence.

Two days before Christmas, the government announced new rules on Unemployment Insurance, what are you excited about?

It inspires me with anger and wonder. Anger because it was never discussed in the consultation. Moreover, this measure is not valid in my opinion, because any measure taken under unemployment insurance must necessarily be subject to consultation, but none has been. I am surprised, because I am amazed at the lack of loyalty of the Ministry of Labor at the beginning of pension reform, which will undoubtedly pit us against each other.

The first results of CNR will be announced in January. What do you think of the work done and the CFDT involved?

So far it’s a bit confusing in terms of method and we don’t see concrete proposals emerging…