Back to work: the CGT is already calling for “mobilization”, its counterparts are procrastinating

After the unexpected dissolution decided by the Head of State in June, and in a context of the rise of the National Rally, the CGT called for a vote in favor of the candidates of the New Popular Front (NFP), while the first trade union center, the CFDT, had campaigned in favor of a republican front. The other representative organizations, faithful to their DNA, had not given precise instructions.

No less than 42 days later, France remains with a resigned government in charge of current affairs and continues to plunge into political uncertainty.

Monday evening, Emmanuel Macron refused to nominate the NFP candidate, Lucie Castets, for Matignon, sparking fury from left-wing parties. Thus, the communist Fabien Roussel called for a “great popular mobilization” and the rebellious leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon wanted a “rapid and firm popular and political response”.

Long before these latest political developments, the unions were approaching the return to work in a dispersed manner.

The leader of the CGT, Sophie Binet, assured that the Montreuil trade union center "will build a mobilization at the start of the school year with all those who wish it at the end of September at the beginning of October", in an interview published on Sunday in La Vie Ouvrière, the magazine activists, and then removed without further explanation.

“I’m not sure that all the unions are there, but it’s not a tragedy,” continued the general secretary of the CGT.

Indeed, harmony between the union organizations does not seem to be achieved.

Meeting with the unions

The CFDT, the leading trade union organization, has not yet decided on a fixed position upon returning from leave.

In an interview with AFP after the second round, Marylise Léon regretted that "we only talk about one thing, casting. As a union leader, what matters to me is ( to know) what are the concrete solutions that will be proposed to workers' problems".

“I am not going to announce movements when we do not know who the government will be, what methods it will use and what its subjects will be,” CFTC boss Cyril Chabanier explained to AFP.

Same observation on the side of the CFE-CGC: “We do not have a preliminary strike”, added François Hommeril, still saying he was “groggy”. “It’s September and we don’t really know how things will go.”

For the leader of Force Ouvrière Frédéric Souillot, the time has not come for a call for a strike.

The third union will communicate after "an Executive Council next week, September 5" and "unsurprisingly", should once again demand "the abolition of the pension reform, the increase in salaries, more resources for the services public", detailed its leader, contacted by AFP.

Everyone hopes that this time the new government, whatever its composition, will give its full place to social dialogue.

He will have "a new meeting with the social partners not to be missed", believes the boss of the CFTC, who did not fail to mention it to a few members of the outgoing majority (Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Aurore Bergé, Elisabeth Borne, Marc Fesneau or Catherine Vautrin...) during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on July 26.