Strange situation than that of the secretary general of the CGT, Philippe Martinez, who must put all his forces into the battle for pensions, while facing an internal guerrilla warfare concerning his succession, during the 53rd Congress of the central at the end of March.
Mr. Martinez, who will turn 62 on April 1, the day after the end of the Congress, created a surprise last May by announcing his wish to hand over to the Secretary General of the Federation of Education, research and culture (Ferc-CGT), Marie Buisson.
Since then, the latter has struggled to impose itself internally, to the point that 18 federations signed a letter at the end of January to request the reopening of the debate on the succession.
During the last National Confederal Committee, on February 1 and 2, Philippe Martinez tried to put an end to the discord by proposing in the middle of the night a vote on the name of his runner-up, without success: many participants refused to vote in claiming to have no warrant to do so.
The protesters met again last week. It emerged that “a majority of federations consider that Marie Buisson’s candidacy does not fit,” said a participant on condition of anonymity to AFP.
How to succeed in its exit in its conditions, and not reproduce the pangs of the succession of Bernard Thibault, who had failed to elect in 2012 at the head of the CGT the one he had chosen, Nadine Prigent?
With the media, Mr. Martinez relativizes, evoking the reluctance of a “part of the leaders of the CGT” more than the “mass of union members”, not devoid of misogyny. “Is she going to be up to it? Will she know how to get out of it?: these are questions you never ask yourself when men claim responsibilities”, defends her- he.
The CGT leader is leading a duo with his CFDT counterpart Laurent Berger in the battle against pensions, rather skillfully according to observers.
“Berger and Martinez are remarkable tacticians and formidable communicators (…). They have a really excellent thing in their communication, whether we share their ideas or not: they seem sincere”, analysis with the AFP the former head of communication of François Hollande, Gaspard Gantzer.
Pushed to a radicalization of the conflict by his internal opponents, Philippe Martinez assumes differences with the more moderate CFDT, without undermining the unity of the inter-union. “Philippe Martinez is managing this battle like a responsible CGT official. He is not being radicalized,” said a CFDT leader.
But within the CGT, some consider the steelworker too lukewarm, too “reformist”, and not sufficiently committed to the renewable strike. “Martinez, he has the right speech in the media. Internally, we are not fooled,” said one of them.
Last grievance to date: the positions of Mr. Martinez hostile to the parliamentary strategy of La France insoumise. “It’s a gift he makes to Macron!”, Gets carried away this source.
The fight against the pension reform can be an asset for the leader of the CGT in his internal battle: “It’s a better context. In these moments it creates a feeling of unity. The struggles are sacred”, observes political scientist Jean-Marie Pernot.
A connoisseur of social issues, the consultant Pierre Ferracci believes that Mr. Martinez has “a lot of cards in hand (…): he presents a woman, the succession battle went badly after the departure of Thibault, and pension reform. When you’re in a battle like that, it makes it easier for people to leave.”
According to several CGT officials, if the name of Marie Buisson divides, the principle of electing a leader is now a consensus within the CGT, no one wanting to risk failing again a female candidacy.
02/21/2023 14:25:44 – Paris (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
