French unions rally protesters after pension reform talks end in failure

Crunch talks between trade unions and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on France’s pensions crisis ended in failure after less than an hour on Wednesday morning – with union bosses vowing to press ahead with strikes and protests against government plans to raise the retirement age to 64.

CFDT boss Laurent Berger and CGT boss Sophie Binet prior to talks between Prime minister Elisabeth Borne and inter-unions representatives at the Hotel de Matignon in Paris on April 5, 2023. AFP - BERTRAND GUAY

Wednesday's talks were the first high-stakes meeting between the government and unions since the deeply unpopular reform bill began making its way through parliament in January.

The flagship legislation of President Emmanuel Macron’s second term was ultimately adopted by decree amid fears that his party did not have sufficient numbers to secure its passage by way of a vote in the National Assembly.

Ongoing protests

Unions, who are planning an 11^th day of nationwide strikes and protests on Thursday, say they will not be returning to the negotiating table.

They had been pushing for the complete withdrawal of the reform bill, which Cyril Chabanier, leader of the CFTC union, said was "unfair and brutal". 

Speaking after the meeting, and on behalf of a cross section of unions, Chabanier denounced Borne's lack of openness and insistence on retaining the legislation.

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“It is by definition a failure when the Prime Minister does allow for any room on this discussion ... We appeal to the wisdom of the Constitutional Council, which must hear the just anger of the workers," he said.

Council elders are to vote on whether or not the reform is in keeping with the country's constitution on 14 April.

Meanwhile, France's biggest union, the CFDT, warned France was experiencing a "serious democratic crisis", adding that millions of people were expected to turnout for Thursday's day of social unrest.

The newly appointed leader of the hardline CGT union, Sophie Binet, said the Prime Minister had "chosen to send us back to the street" following a meeting that could only be described as "useless".