“The bosses played the game,” Patrick Martin (Medef) responds to the unions

2023-10-11 18:24:00

“On salaries, we played the game”, this is the response from Patrick Martin, the president of Medef, to Sophie Binet, the leader of the CGT, and her CFDT counterpart, Marylise Léon. In La Tribune Sunday of October 8, the two leaders of the main trade union organizations believed, in fact, that the “Employers had to be held accountable. » Un warning before the mobilization planned this Friday by the inter-union to demand better remuneration for employees. Patrick Martin rejected the request. According to him, employers have listened to the difficulties of employees in the face of inflation. They distributed bonuses and increased salaries. Also, the employer leader does not intend to go further. Especially in a context where the economic situation is getting darker.

“Bosses are accountable” (Marylise Léon, CFDT, and Sophie Binet, CGT)

No to making exemptions from charges conditional.

A few days before the social conference, which will be held on Monday October 16, the boss of bosses was firm. In particular on the possibility of conditioning public aid to businesses. This provision requested by the employee groups, led by CFDT, should be put on the table next Monday by the government. “ We are directly opposed to any questioning of exemptions from charges. », asserted the leader. And Patrick Martin warned that if by chance the government took this path, “the employers might go through legal recourse”.

Gender equality

Patrick Martin also said “surprised that this social conference, initially planned on low wages and conventional minimums, was extended to other subjects”. According to him, if employers’ branches maintain minimums below the minimum wage, it is not because ” bad will », but it is difficult to keep up with the increases in the minimum wage.

Among them, professional equality between men and women, which will be the subject of a specific workshop at the request of the unions, although originally this subject was to be treated in a cross-functional manner. “When we propose to deal with a file in a transversal way, it is to put it in oblivion”had tackled Sophie Binet, the leader of the CGT, in The Tribune Sunday. On this point, the successor of Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux, said he was ready to review the Penicaud index.

Guarantor of parity

Furthermore, Patrick Martin assumed his position regarding the Agirc-Arrco supplementary pension plans. There is no question of accepting a transfer, even partial, of the money from these supplementary funds to the basic system, as the government wishes to do. The boss of bosses thus insisted to the executive: “It’s not provocation, it’s a matter of principle, of respect for social partners. » And to add that “the autonomy of Agirc-Arrco, the last place of paritarianism, was at stake.”

Also, Medef signed the agreement concluded with the unions last week, which provides for an increase in the pensions of private sector retirees to 4.9% and the disappearance of the penalty. Medef undertakes to stand out from its employer counterparts, ready to make a “deal”with the government on the transfer to the basic system.

The U2P also refused to initial the agreement. The CPME, in line with the position of the U2P, was to bring together its bodies this evening and make a decision. The social partners have until midnight on Wednesday October 11 to decide.