French trade union confederation CFDT will join the strike and protest mobilization in the public sector on November 17. The decision was announced following a meeting at the Hôtel de Matignon devoted to the pay of civil servants.
The government has proposed launching a month-long discussion on low wages. According to CFDT, however, the cabinet continues to refuse to provide the necessary budget funds to compensate employees for the ongoing loss of purchasing power.
“The government is still refusing to provide budget funds in the necessary amount to address the ongoing loss of employees’ purchasing power,” CFDT said.The third-largest trade union in the civil service described the proposals as measures that “do not represent real progress.” The organization warned that hundreds of thousands of civil servants will remain on a basic salary below France’s minimum wage.
Trade Unions Reject the Proposal
By the time of CFDT’s decision, all other trade union organizations had already called for a strike on November 17. They include the two largest organizations in the French civil service – CGT and Force ouvrière.
The new mobilization comes after the strikes on September 29 and November 5. This week’s talks at the Ministry of Finance failed to produce an agreement and did not satisfy the majority of trade unions.
That is why the meeting at the Hôtel de Matignon was seen as a last chance to bring the positions closer together. Instead of immediate joint decisions on pay, the government proposed a one-month period to discuss measures for the lowest-paid employees.
CFDT was initially the only major trade union organization that had not supported the call for a strike on November 17 and insisted on waiting first for the outcome of the negotiations. Following the meeting at the Hôtel de Matignon and its assessment that the proposals did not adequately address the demands, the organization changed its position.