The content of the letter is as full of meaning as the moment it is sent. Monday, November 25, the Minister of Labor, Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet, wrote to the social partners to suggest that they open « discussions »durant “the next few weeks”regarding pensions.
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This initiative is a continuation of a commitment made by the Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, shortly after his appointment to Matignon on September 5. He had expressed his intention to “restart the dialogue” in order to” improve “ the reform promulgated on April 14, 2023, which pushed back the age of eligibility for a pension from 62 to 64 years.
The date on which Mme Panosyan-Bouvet concretizes this promise of the Prime Minister is not trivial: the letter is sent to the unions and employers three days before the debates in the National Assembly on a bill defended by La France insoumise, which intends to repeal the rule 64 years old.
“Fair adjustments”
The themes on which Mme Panosyan-Bouvet wants to discuss had already been mentioned: prevention of“professional wear”, “taking into account equality between women and men”best “readability” of the system for people affiliated to several pension plans… But this list is not exhaustive. Other issues may be addressed, as indicated by the Minister of Labor in her letter, depending on the suggestions made by the parties present, during a “multilateral meeting” – that is to say with all employee and employer organizations.
This meeting could be held before Christmas or, more likely, at the beginning of 2025, according to a union source – provided, obviously, that Mr. Barnier's team has not been overthrown by a motion of censure, in the interval.
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Mme Panosyan-Bouvet thus confirms the desire of those in power to provide “fair arrangements” to the 2023 reform. She takes care to mention that such “adjustments” can only be carried out by ensuring ” preserve [l’]financial balance » of our pay-as-you-go system. A clarification which suggests, discreetly, that the government is not in favor of calling into question the shift in the legal retirement age to 64 years.
The secretary general of FO, Frédéric Souillot, jokes about the fact that the Minister of Labor is speaking to social stakeholders three days before the examination of the LFI bill at the Palais-Bourbon: “This text is the elephant in the middle of the room, which the government is seeking to thwart by taking the initiative on the pension issue”he believes. Basically, the letter from Mme Panosyan-Bouvet reinforces the idea that the 2023 reform “had taken the problem backwards” : “Today we are being asked to think about professional wear and tear or gender equality but these subjects should have been dealt with before imposing on us a postponement of the legal age and an extension of the contribution period”he confides. In his mind, the upcoming negotiations with the government constitute an excellent opportunity to put back on the table a demand dear to all unions: the repeal of the 64-year-old rule.
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