This content was posted on February 1st, 2023 – 9:21 am February 1st, 2023 – 9:21 am
Paris, February 1st (EFE) central, the extension of the minimum retirement age to 64 years.
Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt and Finance Minister Gabriel Attal this Wednesday insisted on the “necessity” of the reform so that the pension system can continue to be financed.
The two ministers reiterated controversial words from Prime Minister Elisabet Borne, who said on Sunday that moving the minimum retirement age from the current 62 to 64 was non-negotiable, but changing the form.
“What is non-negotiable is a return to equilibrium,” he said on France 2 Dussop TV, referring to the deficit of 10,000 to 15,000 million euros a year expected until 2030 (3% of spending on pensions). if nothing is done.
In the Bundestag debate, however, he was open to “improvements”, in particular to avoid forced retirement for people over 55 and to prevent women from having to make the greatest efforts in reform, an issue that has been the focus of debates in recent years days.
In front of the microphones of the broadcaster France Inter, Attal questioned whether there was an alternative to postponing the minimum retirement age, as the opponents were against, “other than a massive increase in taxes to pay pensions”.
Specifically, he criticized the proposals of the left-wing coalition, which, among other things, would like to suppress some exceptions to stock exchange listings from which companies benefit.
“Ever-rising taxes are destroying jobs and slowing economic growth,” added the finance minister, who stressed that the unemployment rate in France was the lowest in the last 15 years and a record in 2022, thanks to its policy of reducing corporate taxation. companies pay for their services.
Attal reiterated that members of the government are “very open” to the fact that the pension reform project, which has started its work in the National Assembly, which will be debated in plenary starting next Monday, has been completed on some points.
In particular, to impose results on companies, to increase the proportion of workers over 55, to better integrate the so-called “family rights” such as motherhood, to be able to retire earlier or to reduce the painful nature of some jobs.
Laurent Berger, general secretary of the French Confederation of Democratic Trade Unions (CFDT, the country’s first trade union), hailed the success of Tuesday’s mobilizations, when 1.27 million people took to the streets, according to the Interior Ministry, and more than 2.5 million according to the works.
In another RTL radio interview, Berger stressed that these were the largest demonstrations since 1995, “including that of 1995”, which ended with the withdrawal of the pension reform law by the former Prime Minister, the conservative Alain Juppé.
“We’re going to continue like this,” emphasized the CFDT boss. Unions organized new mobilization days on February 7th and 11th to increase pressure on the government.
For his part, the general secretary of the General Confederation of Trade Unions (CGT), Philippe Martínez, pointed out that the refusal of Borne and French President Emmanuel Macron to remedy the situation was leading to strikes that could last indefinitely, such as railways. EFE
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