After the trauma of the pension reform, 7 months of discussions at the Work, Employment and Pensions Conference

After a period of tension marked in 2023 by the forced adoption of a pension reform rejected by the unions, then by the failure of the conclave in 2025 followed finally by the suspension of the reform, the Lecornu government had chosen to reopen the debate by linking pensions to working conditions and issues of access to employment.

A holistic approach that was rather welcomed by the unions, particularly the CFDT.

However, many participants initially struggled to imagine what these discussions would lead to.

Yvan Ricordeau of the CFDT welcomes "an unprecedented format" where "social partners, in a form of discussion organized by the State, devote six months of work to explaining what the major challenges of the world of work are in the period to come".

However, he is waiting until Friday evening to comment on the presence of "all the important elements" in the final document that will be submitted to the Prime Minister in the fall.

The guarantors of the debates - honorary State Councillor Jean-Denis Combrexelle, founder of a social relations consultancy firm Pierre Ferracci and former right-wing minister Anne-Marie Couderc - are in charge of drafting it.

He will take note of the consensus and disagreements on the various subjects and will give the guarantors' point of view. This will not consist of "peremptorily stating, this is what must be done, but we will say what the possible paths are," explains Mr. Combrexelle.

Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou also urged social partners to take up the issues of artificial intelligence, youth employment and sick leave.

"Trauma"

"Given the trauma of the pension reform and the way it was voted on, it was not a bad thing for people to discuss things again, even if they acknowledge disagreements," says Jean Grosset, social advisor to the Jean Jaurès Foundation.

The absence of the Medef (French Business Confederation) is, however, a major drawback. Unhappy with the budget discussions, the main employers' organization predicted in Les Echos that the mountain would "bring forth a mouse".

"There is a clear position of the Medef, which does not want anyone other than itself to talk about the organization of work, management and working conditions," unlike what is happening in Germany or in the Nordic countries, says political scientist Bruno Palier.

The U2P and Les Entrepreneurs (formerly CPME) nevertheless participated in the discussions, as did all the nationally representative trade unions, which remained until the end. Eric Chevée (Les Entrepreneurs) praised the "effective" format, its long-term approach, and its protection from media pressure, as well as "the State's full commitment of its resources" to the studies and statistics.

"It is often said that society is blocked and that we cannot discuss a number of things, (...) but I find that the debates have been open, we have been able to discuss everything," Mr. Combrexelle says happily.

Among the limitations of the exercise highlighted by participants was an organization that seemed to proceed with more trial and error in the public sector. "At the civil service level, there was no investment from the State," lamented Patricia Drevon of the FO union.

For the CGT, Denis Gravouil noted "two issues that were properly addressed": abuses of the micro-entrepreneur status and arduous working conditions, the need for better consideration of which is a point of consensus among unions. He deplored, however, the insufficient attention paid to gender equality.

Regarding the repeal of the 2023 pension reform, "we still haven't had a serious study on its cost and how it is financed," he points out, also denouncing the Entrepreneurs' proposal to add a mandatory capitalization tier.

The CFDT, for its part, put forward its proposal for an "à la carte" retirement, while knowing that it would not be a consensus.