The inter-union gives Lecornu until Wednesday to respond to "their demands"

The day after a day of mobilization that brought together between 500.000 and more than a million people in the streets - according to the authorities or the CGT - representatives of the eight trade union organizations (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC, Unsa, FSU and Solidaires) met to decide on their strategy.

For them, Thursday was a "success," the scale of which "confirms the anger and determination" in the country. Although Sébastien Lecornu announced last week that he was abandoning the elimination of two public holidays, for the trade unions, "the count is still not there!"

They are thus calling on the Prime Minister to "abandon the entire project" presented this summer by his predecessor, François Bayrou, including "the doubling of medical franchises, the blank year (...), the elimination of 3.000 civil service posts and the reform of unemployment insurance", as well as the questioning of May 1st as a public holiday and day off, in a joint text published on Friday.

Meeting for the first time since 2023 and the mobilization against the highly controversial pension reform, the unions are still calling for "the abandonment of the increase in the legal retirement age" to 64.

And they are issuing an "ultimatum" to Sébastien Lecornu: "If by September 24 (Wednesday), he has not responded to their demands, the union organizations will meet to decide very quickly on a new day of strikes and demonstrations," they warn.

The bosses are not spared: "The trade unions (...) demand the opening of wage negotiations in all branches and companies" and that the latter justify the 211 billion euros of public aid that they have received.

"The ball" in Lecornu's court

Pension reform adopted without a parliamentary vote in 2023, failure of the conclave after a profound disagreement with employers, five unemployment insurance reforms in a few years... the cup seems full on the side of employee representatives.

"We know there is a deficit that needs to be reduced," but "it cannot be done solely on the backs of workers," CFDT leader Marylise Léon insisted Thursday evening on RTL.

For the head of France's largest union, "the ball is in the Prime Minister's court, who told us that he wanted to build compromises, that he was ready to move." "We're waiting for proof!"

"We are in a position of strength and demand immediate answers," said CGT leader Sophie Binet, who warned on France 5 on Thursday evening: "We will not put away the flags until we have won our case."

Questioned at the start of the march on Thursday in Paris, Frédéric Souillot (FO) reminded him that his union had filed a notice of a renewable strike this summer.

In Albi on Thursday, Nadège, a social worker who had already mobilized last week in response to the "Block Everything" movement, is ready to continue the "mobilization, which she hopes will last."

"When will this change?" asked Christine, who has been supporting students with disabilities for 13 years, during the march in Perpignan. "This is the first time I've demonstrated," she confided, "but today, I'm saying STOP, we can't take it anymore."

After the show of force in the streets, Sébastien Lecornu announced that he would "once again meet with the union forces."

The Prime Minister must "open serious negotiations on the basis of their demands," François Hollande said this week when questioned by the press.

Otherwise, "if a social movement takes hold, it will complicate the budgetary debate. On the other hand, if progress is made, it will have to be reflected in the budget and the PLFSS (Social Security Financing Plan, editor's note).