Announced as perilous, the weekend of May 1 ended for the executive with the prospect of a lull on the union front. Despite the persistence of the social conflict against the pension reform and major incidents and damage on the sidelines of the processions in Paris, Lyon and Nantes, several clearings have come to clear the horizon of the government. With 782,000 demonstrators across France according to the Ministry of the Interior (2.3 million according to the CGT), the demonstration did not take the contours of the “tidal wave” previously announced by the unions. The displayed unity, unprecedented for fourteen years, allowed the organizers to mobilize more than during previous Labor Days. Without managing to do better than March 7 and 23, days of the most important demonstrations against the pension reform.
If the new secretary general of the CGT, Sophie Binet, welcomed “one of the strongest” May 1st “of the social movement”, no new date for mobilization has been set in the wake of the dispersal of the processions. , as had always been the case since January. An inter-union meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, should make it possible to adopt a common position. In the meantime, Elisabeth Borne soberly hailed Monday “a moment of responsible mobilization and commitment” in “many cities in France”. While denouncing “scenes” of “unacceptable” violence when a police officer was seriously injured in Paris.
At Matignon, where we are trying to rebuild the link with the trade unions, the day was followed with attention. “Happy birthday to all the workers and to all the workers who, through their daily commitment, build the future of our country and allow us to bring our social model to life”, wrote Élisabeth Borne very early on Twitter, way of linking employment and social progress when the left seeks to dissociate them. Above all, the Prime Minister recorded a first good news coming from the CFDT. Its secretary general, Laurent Berger, agreed to take his outstretched hand. Elisabeth Borne wants to discuss new projects with the unions, including the transcription of the value-sharing agreement or the new governance of unemployment insurance. By accepting the principle of a meeting at Matignon without delay, the reformist trade unionist stands out from his inter-union partners.
“I saw that the CFDT and the CFTC had said they wanted to come back to discuss, and that FO said they were not in an empty chair logic. So much the better, that does not mean that we agree, but that we can work”, welcomes the Minister of Labor, Olivier Dussopt, to Le Figaro. After having struggled to carry the highly contested pension reform, the ex-socialist is now responsible for preparing the future “full employment” law. “In essence, May Day carries demands that go beyond pensions. (…) The disagreement on pensions, on age in particular, will remain, and no one can claim to erase it. This should not prevent us from discussing other subjects”, he wants to believe, citing in particular “the employment of seniors” and “the essential reform of the RSA”.
An optimism shared at all levels of the executive, including at the Élysée, where we seem reassured at the end of the weekend. Among the reasons for satisfaction, the final of the French Football Cup on Saturday, where the icy welcome promised to Emmanuel Macron did not finally happen. “Tonight is still proof that many in the ecosystem are not very grounded in reality”, then welcomed a relative, believing that the president could still move and discuss with the French. As he plans to do again this week while his Prime Minister must speak to the deputies of the majority.
