Pensions: “Stop the provocation” against opponents of the reform, launches Laurent Berger to Emmanuel Macron

Two months before his announced departure, the boss of the CFDT remains on the breach. On France Inter, this Thursday morning, Laurent Berger returned to Emmanuel Macron's visit to Alsace, severely judging the attitude of the Head of State. Welcomed by demonstrators and a concert of saucepans the day before, he declared that "it is not the saucepans that will move France forward", adding that the opponents present "are trying to make noise. If we are in a society where we only listen to people who want to make noise to cover up words, we don't get out of it.

“When you hear, you have to listen. And I believe that yesterday, the President of the Republic, did not listen. He said that it is not the saucepans that govern … But stop the provocation” in the face of opponents of the pension reform, retorted Laurent Berger. “What is expressed behind the noises of the pan is the reality of the world of work”, he analyzed, calling on the executive to hear the difficulties of employees who cannot continue until 64 years old. "Democracy is not just about being elected once, then doing what you want," also said the boss of the CFDT.

The inter-union is therefore counting on May 1 to put pressure on the government on the pension file, but not only: “There will be other subjects, in terms of wages, working conditions”, noted Laurent Berger. After this date, the CFDT will meet the executive in order to put these themes on the table, added the secretary general, wishing to "do [his] work as a trade unionist". “I don't know if it's at the Élysée that it should happen [...]. We don't want to arrive in a meeting where we are told, “Here, that's the project” [...]. The method is that when there are proposals that are put on the table by the organizations, we want there to be a debate” on it, he warned. The social conflict around pensions could also serve the unions, allowing them to obtain more advantageous conditions on other subjects: "It's not a quid pro quo, but clearly, today, it won't be like yesterday [ ...]. Yes, everything will cost a little more, that's obvious,” the representative scolded.

The union representative also spoke out against the vision of social democracy carried by Emmanuel Macron, accusing the executive of giving in to the temptation "to lower, to diminish the role of the unions". A strategy held in check by the social movement mobilized since January: “Trade unionism is back, Mr. President. We are there, and we will have to deal with it,” he said, addressing the head of state. The personal relations between the two men also remain icy: if the tenant of the Elysee Palace said he had "friendship" for Laurent Berger, the latter shot him with an arrow this Thursday morning. “I have many friends who wrote to me yesterday. But not the President of the Republic,” he said. And to add: "You ask me if he is a friend, I answer you no".

The movement against pension reform will continue, despite his imminent departure, said Laurent Berger. “You have to know how to pass the hand, because we are passing through. […] Until June 21, I will have the same determination, the same frankness, the same application on all subjects, including that of pensions”, assured the union representative, judging his own secondary person by relation to the whole social movement. It is up to his runner-up, Marylise Léon, to then take up the torch. For his part, there is no question for the current head of the CFDT to engage in politics in the years to come. “I will not do politics, period,” he swore.