France’s CGT Union Agrees to Meet With Macron’s Government Chief

Story by Ania Nussbaum • Today

Members of the French Confederation of Labour (CGT) union hold lit flares during a demonstration against pension reform in the La Defense business district of Paris, France, on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. Emmanuel Macron’s government called for a crackdown on violent protesters as labor unions vowed to pursue their campaign against his pension reforms with a 14th day of demonstrations.© Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- The hardline CGT union, which has been among the forces driving months-long protests against Emmanuel Macron’s plans for pensions reform, agreed to meet with his prime minister.

The CGT will have talks with Elisabeth Borne at her office on May 16 or 17, Agence-France Presse reported Saturday, citing a spokesperson for the labor group.

After Macron enacted his unpopular pension reform last month, Borne has renewed an invitation to all representative unions to meet, without providing a specific agenda. The head of the moderate CFDT union has said he could accept the invitation, but warned that the talks must be substantive.

A month ago, unions left a meeting with Borne saying she was not ready to offer any concessions, calling the encounter a failure.

Macron has been facing protests and strikes since mid-January against his plan to push back the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64. Polls show most French people back the movement, and the president’s popularity is dwindling. Anger has been palpable on the streets since Macron used a constitutional provision to bypass parliament, after failing to convince conservative lawmakers to back his proposal.

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The CGT union recently appointed a new head. Sophie Binet became the first woman to lead the labor group since its creation in 1895. She’s devoted time to work on environment and gender equality issues.

Unions, which have remained united so far, have called for a new day of strikes and protests on June 6, two days before the National Assembly reviews a proposal to repeal Macron’s pension reform, filed by a group of independent, centrist lawmakers, known as LIOT.

The initiative is fraught with challenges, however, as Macron’s party could use delay tactics to prevent its review before a parliamentary deadline. It’s also uncertain whether the conservative Republicains will back the proposal. Even if the National Assembly adopts it, it’s unlikely to get through the Senate.