The meeting between Elizabeth Bourne and the Inter-Union was symbolic rather than effective

What should we expect from this meeting between Inter-Union and Elizabeth Bourne? Probably not much: a few pictures, a contact, maybe a door slam. But nothing more.

>> Elizabeth Bourne meeting with social partners: “We need to understand the depth of anger,” say unions.

The Prime Minister and the unions have not seen eye to eye since the pension reform was tabled on January 10. It’s been ages. For three months, they didn’t exchange more than a few words on the phone two or three times. They don’t even agree on the agenda. Unions are demanding the rollback of pension reform, particularly the abandonment of the deferral of the statutory age to 64; Elizabeth Bourne wants to turn to her side and move on to other projects… In short, we’ve had a hot reunion.

A meeting that is symbolic rather than useful?

So why did the two parties agree to meet? It’s a question of turning off the little tune that management has been repeating for weeks about refusing to talk to unions. A bit of caution is needed, especially to appease the majority who blame the Bourne-Dassopt coalition for ignoring Laurent Berger, the head of the CFDT. As for the unions, they have been unable to implement the “empty chair policy” of demanding interviews for weeks. Unlike the Insumis, they would have preferred the debate on reform to go to the floor of the legislature.

But the interview can be short, even very short. It is dangerous. Elizabeth Bourne has her sights set on the Constitutional Council’s decision next week, expected on April 14. In the meantime, it will run the clock, try to open the debate on the future labor law, and the legislative transcription of the agreement concluded between the social partners about the value sharing in the enterprise.

Unions aren’t fooled, they may leave the meeting quickly once they see that the Prime Minister isn’t going through with his pension reforms. There is also the possibility of holding a new call for mobilization for strikes and demonstrations planned for tomorrow. It will be the 11th in two and a half months that unions are more often seen on the street than in Matignon.