Pensions: The CGT Considers Leaving Consultations After François Bayrou Refuses to Return to Retirement at 62

The CGT Confederal Executive Committee is proposing to its governing bodies that they withdraw from the current discussions on pension reform, judging that “the nature of the consultations has changed” since the Prime Minister’s statements. In an internal letter published on Tuesday by Le Monde, the union’s extended leadership denounced a “hardening of positions” under the influence of Medef, rendering the discussions “unacceptable”.

A Turning Point in Negotiations

Members of the Confederal National Committee (CCN), the CGT’s equivalent of a “parliament,” have until Wednesday at 6 p.m. to decide on this proposal. If approved, the CGT would join Force Ouvrière and the U2P, which have already withdrawn from negotiations.

Launched in January, this series of consultations was supposed to allow for a reassessment of the 2023 pension reform “without taboos or preconditions.” However, on Sunday, François Bayrou reaffirmed his opposition to returning to retirement at 62, shutting down an option that unions were still hoping for. This stance has alarmed labor organizations, with the CFDT now demanding “clarifications” from the Prime Minister.

Growing Mobilization

In response to this deadlock, the CGT is calling for increased mobilization, with actions planned as early as Thursday alongside retirees, followed by a demonstration on April 3 with public sector workers, and expanded monthly protests. Sophie Binet, the union’s secretary general, will propose at an inter-union meeting on Wednesday to coordinate these initiatives in order to maintain pressure on the government.