The inter-union re-invited to Matignon after its call for a new mobilization on October 2

The Prime Minister (Sébastien Lecornu) provided "no clear response" to the expectations of workers, the inter-union group stressed, which was received for more than two hours on Wednesday morning at Matignon.

Received in the afternoon, the three representative employers' organisations, Medef, CPME and U2P, welcomed the fact that the supply policy had not been called into question.

The Prime Minister assured the social partners that he did not intend to "force things through" and hoped to meet with them again "in the coming days," according to a statement published Wednesday evening.

Sébastien Lecornu will also write to them to ask for "their contribution on five themes": financing social protection, reindustrialization and economic sovereignty, working conditions, strengthening joint management and modernizing the labor market.

Still without a government and seeking a compromise, particularly with the Socialists, to pass a budget, the Prime Minister received the entire inter-union (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC, Unsa, FSU and Solidaires) in the morning, in the presence of the resigning ministers Catherine Vautrin (Labour, Health and Solidarity), Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet (Labour and Employment) and Laurent Marcangeli (Civil Service).

Arriving and leaving Matignon together, the unions announced a new day of strikes and mobilization on October 2.

"Wooden language"

A guest on the France 2 news, CFDT leader Marylise Léon said that "a path is possible to construct a budget if there is a sharing of efforts."

"The world of work will not let itself be pushed around if it feels that efforts are completely unbalanced," she warned.

"This is one of the reasons why we are remobilizing on October 2, he (the Prime Minister) must be able to answer this question," she explained.

The only potential cause for satisfaction is the burial of a new unemployment insurance reform, which seems "well underway," she told AFP earlier.

But this is not the case with the doubling of medical franchises or the elimination of 3.000 civil service jobs and Mr. Lecornu did not provide "any specific information" on tax justice, Sophie Binet regretted.

The number 1 of the CGT criticized "two hours of wooden language".

As for the 2023 pension reform, the central point of union demands, "it is one of the subjects that has been the least clear," lamented Ms. Léon, with Sophie Binet regretting that the Prime Minister had "not said a word" about a possible suspension.

The Socialist Party expressed its "full solidarity with the inter-union movement" in a statement on Wednesday evening and called on "all citizens to join en masse the day of action and mobilization on October 2."

Since his arrival at Matignon, where he immediately promised "substantive changes," the Prime Minister has already met with representative organizations one by one. At the end of their day of strikes and demonstrations on September 18, he invited the unions to return to see him.

"Shared efforts"

They had given him an "ultimatum", asking him to respond to their demands before Wednesday or face further mobilization.

On Wednesday afternoon, it was the turn of the employers' organizations to be received, in the presence of the resigning ministers Eric Lombard (Economy) and Catherine Vautrin (Labor and Health).

According to Patrick Martin, the president of the Medef (French employers' association), the Prime Minister "is perfectly aware that it is necessary to send signals on the sharing of efforts, on (tax) fairness but above all on the fight against fraud", without "jeopardizing the economic model".

Amir Reza-Tofighi, the president of the CPME, indicated that his movement was "200% in favor" of fighting against tax over-optimization by certain taxpayers, but "that new taxes should not be created."

Michel Picon, the president of U2P (local businesses), said that "if we don't tell the French that the efforts will be shared by all, they will not be accepted by anyone."

According to several union and employer sources, Mr. Lecornu confided on Wednesday that he was "the weakest Prime Minister of the Fifth Republic." "I am not Édouard Philippe, I don't have 350 MPs to rely on," reported Sophie Binet.

The Prime Minister, who, according to concordant sources, could give an interview in the written press as early as Thursday evening, was received by François Hollande "at the request of Matignon" for "a meeting of pure republican courtesy," indicated the former president's entourage.

On Wednesday, the rebellious deputies asked other left-wing groups in the National Assembly to sign a joint motion of censure against Sébastien Lecornu, which will be tabled "at the opening of the parliamentary session" on October 1.