Before the departure in this capital of a new march in rejection of the project, the general secretaries of the CGT, Philippe Martinez, and the CFDT, Laurente Berger, urged the Executive to listen to the claim of the unions and the majority of the French , opposed to the extension of the legal retirement age from 62 to 64 years.
The leaders affirmed that activating 49.3, a resource that allows initiatives to be adopted without a parliamentary vote, will increase the discomfort of the detractors of the text, analyzed this Wednesday in a mixed commission of senators and deputies to try to reach a consensus that can be submitted tomorrow to the suffrage of the Senate and the National Assembly.
Using that article would be the worst of the worst and would be a problem; The CGT will continue to mobilize with or without this use of force by the government, Martinez affirmed given the possibility that the reform will be imposed through a remedy that, although constitutional, many consider a maneuver far removed from democratic positions.
The ruling party needs about 290 deputies to achieve an absolute majority in the National Assembly that will allow it to materialize the controversial bill, also attacked for the increase in the contribution period and the elimination of special retirement regimes.
However, by losing its majority in the legislative elections last June, the ruling Renacimiento party and its allies number around 250, urging the support of the conservatives (Los Republicanos), which leaves the door open to eventual failure that triggers the use of article 49.3.
In this regard, the CFDT leader described today’s mobilization, the eighth since January 19, as “the last cry of the world of work.”
According to Berger, if the government opts for 49.3, it will trigger anger.
The day before, the leader announced that tomorrow the main figures of the French unions will go to the National Assembly in view of the possible vote on the retirement reform.
