CFDT moderates join pension strike but unions remain divided

France's largest union CFDT has joined the other main workers groups for Tuesday's mass protests against pension reforms. The bloc did not take part in the first two marches, but last week declared the government had crossed a line with its "pivot age" proposal. But the unions remain divided.

France's largest union, the CFDT, joins nationwide strikes against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform, 17 December 2019. @UDCFDTParis/Twitter

CFDT's participation in the nationwide protests marks a potential turning point in the rolling strikes that began on 5 December.

The moderate union has historically been keen to compromise and has backed the government on several contentious reforms over the past two decades. 

Unlike the other main unions striking against the reform, CFDT is in favour of a universal system: merging the current 42 separate pension schemes into a single one.

In contrast, the leftist unions, CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, FSU and Solidaires are all marching under one banner, demanding the government completely scrap its reform proposal.

Update. Inter-union ctte (CGT-FO-Solidaires-FSU) calls for another day of gen. strike and demonstrations on Tuesday https://t.co/6kqdh7tSh2 meanwhile, several industries continue to strike; cross industry and student assemblies being held at railway stations and campuses today

  L.A.Delmotte (@l_a_delmotte) December 6, 2019

The division was clear on Tuesday, as CDFT marched seperately, and well behind, under its own banner.

16h45 Le cortège @CFDT démarre seulement de place de la République
Il y a encore énormément de monde en cette fin d’après-midi pour revendiquer une réforme juste et solidaire.#17decembre pic.twitter.com/F1mrzfdIrZ

  CFDT Paris (@UDCFDTParis) December 17, 2019

'Pivot age' problem

CFDT's "red line" comes in the form of the so-called pivot age of 64, at which people would qualify for a full pension, even if the legal retirement age remained 62.

“CFDT believes the government has crossed a red line in imposing a pivot age of 64,” the union said in a communiqué.

“Since the government has proposed extending the retirement age for all workers, CFDT is mobilising to remove that part of the text, not all of the reform,” said Laurent Berger, the union’s president, in an interview with The Nation.

A retirement age of 64 may appear comparatively early when looking at other Western nations. But the CFDT said the pivot age would be particularly unfair for two main groups. 

“Those who begin work at a young age, and those who are unemployed towards the end of their careers will be penalised by this. As of 2022, those who can retire at 62 must work longer to maintain their level of pension,” wrote CFDT in a statement.

“We want to move towards tolerance, justice and equality for today and tomorrow," Pierre-Marie Rochard, from CFDT's education and research branch, told RFI. 

"We don't want to amplify everything that is not working today – and the issue of age is something particularly brutal and unjust," he added, saying that the push to 64 was a punitive measure for all those who want to retire earlier.

Live longer, work longer

By comparison to other countries, retirement is often set at 64 or 65, sometimes 67, as is the case in Norway according to recent data from the OECD.

But the fact that people are living longer does not translate simply into an adjustment of the retirement age. 

“There are cultural gaps amongst all these countries, with respect to work,” says Rochard. “In France, we have increased the workload for those between 30 to 50 years. People are worn-out. We have intensified work in a way that doesn’t beget more productivity."

Working longer is not an option, he stresses, as the workload as it already stands is "no longer barable".