End of pension consultations postponed to June 17

The social partners still participating in the pension consultation, the former conclave, have now given themselves until June 17 to reach an agreement, they explained on Thursday, May 15, following a new meeting.

The program previously called for the fiscal year to end on May 28.

According to the new schedule, Jean-Jacques Marette, the facilitator of the consultation, will hold bilateral meetings with each of the organizations next week to take stock.

A summary document will then be drawn up and will serve as a basis for negotiation, with plenary meetings scheduled for June 5, 11 and 12, and a final meeting on June 17.

"We have planned quite a bit to get to the bottom of our discussions. We have a feeling it will take time, but we are hopeful that we will get there," said Eric Chevée, negotiator for the CPME (small and medium-sized enterprises).

"The real mountain of pension negotiations lies ahead of us, with four challenges": age, arduous work, women's pensions, and the financial balance of the pension system, according to Yvan Ricordeau, the CFDT negotiator.

Asked about the chances of reaching an agreement on June 17, Pascale Coton, the CFTC negotiator, gave a nuanced response.

"I would say it's practically zero, but it fluctuates from hour to hour, from day to day. Today, I would say we're maybe at 14 (chances) out of 20" because the day's discussions were "simpler, more engaging," she said.

The unions are seeking improvements for employees in the 2023 reform, which raises the legal retirement age from 62 to 64. But employers have not yet made any concessions, according to them.

"On age, professional wear and tear, and the pensions of women mothers, we need to have tangible and new elements," warned Christelle Thieffinne, representative of the CFE-CGC.

On the other hand, the participants show a certain convergence in proposing to become more involved in the management of the pension system for private sector employees, without leaving the government and Parliament in sole charge.

If an agreement is reached, the changes to the pension reform should be included in the Social Security financing bill for 2026.

Other points (the management of the pension system, and even the financing of social protection in general) would be included in subsequent reforms.

The five organizations remaining in talks are the MEDEF (Medef) and the CPME (CPME) for the employers, and the CFDT (CFDT), the CFTC (CFDT), and the CFE-CGC (CFE-CGC) for the unions. The U2P (artisans), FO (Fédération nationale de travail), and the CGT (General Confederation of Trade Unions) have all walked out.

President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday called on the government to soon open a "social conference" with all unions and employers on the financing of the social model, believing that it is necessary to "look for money outside of work alone," particularly through "consumption."

At the same time, he rejected the request by CGT general secretary Sophie Binet for a referendum on the repeal of the pension reform.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.