Pensions: hardship, a necessary issue of the “conclave”

A conclave, a smokescreen... That's normally the scenario. The one proposed by François Bayrou upon his arrival at Matignon on the pension issue should normally end on Tuesday, June 17. Except that's not certain. The Prime Minister has declared that if necessary, extensions are possible. Except that, as Maurice Thorez said about a strike, you have to know how to end a conclave... Unless François Bayrou's goal was to entertain the gallery to gain political life expectancy...

Since the issue of pensions is important—even if it occupies too much space in our debates compared to other equally important ones—let's not make this case against the head of government. Above all, some positive things can come out of this conclave. It's a given that nothing will change regarding the legal retirement age, hence the absence of the CGT and FO unions at the meetings. But the issue of hardship remains at the heart of the debates. It's not a minor one. Millions of employees are affected. And this is the main reason—along with the situation of women—that justifies the CFDT remaining at the negotiating table.

As the debates conclude, let's be clear: the Medef (French employers' association) holds the key. The employers' organization, which has remained deaf to the issue for years, has taken, and it must be noted, a step in the right direction. A "move," as they say, belated, but "move" nonetheless. It remains insufficient, as the potential gains for workers in arduous occupations are both uncertain and complex to achieve. So why not, as the CFDT (French Labour Confederation of Labour) demands, take into account three simple criteria—lifting heavy loads, difficult postures, mechanical vibrations—to allow for early retirement in the professions concerned? Employers must provide this boost so that this conference doesn't end in a damp squib. For François Bayrou. For the very idea of ​​social dialogue. But especially for these employees, whom we have often heard say arrive broken when it's time to retire.