Philippe Martinez criticizes LFI for wanting to “appropriate the social movement to put the unions in the background”

The towel is burning between the CGT and La France insoumise in the midst of a parliamentary debate on pension reform. Philippe Martinez, the secretary general of the CGT, criticized LFI, Sunday February 19, for wanting “appropriate the social movement to put the unions in the background”.

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Philippe Martinez accused, on BFMTV, the rebellious deputies of having obstructed during the examination in the National Assembly, where the work could not be carried out until article 7 of the text, which concerns the age measurement and the postponement of retirement from 62 to 64 years. He also pointed to the “responsibility” of the government which has chosen to opt for an accelerated procedure at the Palais-Bourbon.

“Things are not going very well between him and the trade union movement”

The trade unionist also accused Jean-Luc Mélenchon of not favoring “clarity of debates and positions”. “It’s been a very long time since I spoke to Jean-Luc Mélenchon. The CGT is discussing with deputies, group presidents, possibly party secretaries. [Mais] things are not going very well between him and the trade union movement”he specified.

In the wake of Philippe Martinez’s exit, Jean-Luc Mélenchon called in a tweet to forget “these divisive words”. “Thank you to the deputies who blocked the adoption of retirement at 64. To succeed on March 7, we must be united! Broaden the front of commitment and not stunt it”, he urged. In a more subdued way and without wanting to add “a coin in the dividing machine”the national secretary of the Communist Party Fabien Roussel, on France 3, said he regretted the “step aside” of the Insoumis in the conduct of the debates at the Palais-Bourbon, calling for a more collective game.