Under the gilding of the Elysée Palace, they met and measured the extent of their ideological differences. Tuesday August 29, in the early evening, Emmanuel Macron received, for a little over an hour, Sophie Binet, the general secretary of the CGT. The Head of State wanted to speak with the trade unionist, who took office at the end of March. He did so – or is about to do so – with Patrick Martin, the new president of the Medef (elected on July 6), and with Marylise Léon, appointed head of the CFDT on June 21. A way to establish direct contact with three personalities recently installed at the helm of the largest organizations of employees and employers.
For this tete-a-tete at the top, Mme Binet is “arrival with [s]we agenda “according to the story she gives to the World. The CGT leader claims to have taken advantage of Mr. Macron’s invitation to send him several general messages and draw his attention to specific issues.
“I spoke to him with seriousness, because the situation in the country seems very worrying to me”, she says. After the pension reform, which the President of the Republic “forced through” despite the opposition of “overwhelming” majority of the population, “distrust of the executive is deep, among the unions and, more broadly, within the world of work”Judge M.me Binet.
To his eyes, “we can talk about a break, with possible electoral consequences for the benefit of the far right”. She says she has ” warned “ The head of state “on his historical responsibility and on the fact that his action risked contributing to the coming to power of the National Rally in 2027”. “By disregarding the opinion of employee organizations and public opinion, many women and men will consider that there is no other alternative than Marine Le Pen”she argues.
“Total disagreement”
For the trade unionist, there is only one way to “appease the anger and turn the page” of the social conflict that lasted throughout the first half of the year: the holding of a referendum on pensions. A request also made by all the political parties that make up the New People’s Ecological and Social Union. Mme Binet argued to the tenant of the Elysée that“He cannot be right alone in the face of everyone”. But, according to her, Mr. Macron, unsurprisingly, brushed aside the idea of consulting citizens, believing that the legal retirement age must be pushed back, in order, in particular, to guarantee the balance of the system. “On this, our disagreement is total.she points out.. The CGT has solutions to finance the old age branch – which he does not want to hear about. »
You have 57.09% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.