“Life at work”: the negotiation is stalling, its conclusion postponed to April 8

“We will end on April 8 with an agreement that we hope will be conclusive” instead of March 26, declared at the end of the session Jean-Christophe Repon, the negotiator of the U2P (artisans, traders and liberal professions) .

Medef and the unions mutually accused each other of having refused any concessions.

“The union organizations have made no progress” on any of the subjects discussed, regretted Medef negotiator Hubert Mongon.

“The Medef and the CPME were backwards on the discussion of the agreement”, retorted Yvan Ricordeau (CFDT), regretting “a blank session”.

"We can clearly see" that the employers' organizations "did not want this negotiation", also judged Jean-François Foucard (CFE-CGC), while Michel Beaugas (FO) once again said he was convinced that the negotiation "will be done the last day".

The subject of the creation of a universal time savings account (Cetu) continued to be an object of contention.

The CFDT, the bearer of this idea, demanded and obtained that it be re-discussed during the next session on Tuesday.

But Medef reaffirmed its total opposition: "an agreement which would include any provision whatsoever on Cetu is an agreement which would not include our signature", declared Hubert Mongon to the press.

The only employers' organization to defend Cetu, the U2P is considering the possibility of a separate negotiation, to which several trade union organizations have not said no.

In the morning, during a rare joint press conference, the leaders of the five representative unions (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC) as well as those of the employers (Medef, CPME, U2P) underlined their desire to reach an agreement, while noting that “it’s complicated”.

There is "enormous expectation on the part of employees" after the pension reform, affirmed the general secretary of the CFDT Marylise Léon, during this meeting organized by the Association of Social Information Journalists (Ajis ).

“We must succeed,” also declared the president of Medef Patrick Martin.

"Evil genius"

The employers' preliminary draft agreement notably proposes an "end-of-career" permanent contract to facilitate the hiring of unemployed seniors, which the unions reject.

The latter presented ten joint proposals, including a right to progressive retirement enforceable at age 60, but the employers did not respond to them and they were “swept aside,” lamented the CGT negotiator. , Sandrine Mourey.

“Medef and CPME are doing everything to discourage us,” she said.

In the morning, unions and employers denounced with one voice the "interferences" of the executive, Sophie Binet (CGT) evoking in particular the "evil genius" which hovers over their discussions.

“It’s starting to be annoying to discuss with a gun behind your head,” said U2P president Michel Picon.

All expressed their attachment to parity.

It is “visceral”, assured the boss of Medef Patrick Martin, stressing that the social partners manage “235 billion euros of social benefits” via Agirc-Arrco, Unédic or even the AT/MP branch (accidents). of work/occupational diseases) of Social Security.

It "could be fatal that at a given moment, the State has all the keys to the truck", because "there is a political dimension. We think we know who is in charge at the head of the State today today, we don’t know who will be there tomorrow,” he said.

“We will not let this happen”, warned Frédéric Souillot, (FO) believing that to save paritarianism, it is necessary to show that its management is “good and unassailable”.

But this “magot attracts everyone”, noted François Hommeril (CFE-CGC), pointing to the State.