“It is absolutely necessary that there is something on companies. In the previous budget, there was nothing,” said Cyril Chabanier, president of the CFTC.

Guest of “4 truths” on France 2, Cyril Chabanier, president of the CFTC, returned to the call to strike by his union and to the issues of the budget in preparation. He also mentioned the need for a fair effort, the transparency of businesses to businesses and tax justice.

This text corresponds to part of the transcription of the interview above. Click on the video to watch it in full.

Gilles Bornstein: Maybe naive: do you call a strike, but for what reason exactly?

Cyril Chabanier: We call on strike because it is still possible to influence the budget currently in preparation by the Prime Minister. The old project included many unacceptable elements: efforts that were neither fair, equitable, nor correctly distributed. We know that we are in the final stretch of the development of this budget and we want to obtain clear answers concerning the white year: will it be integrated or not into the budget? Will dividends be more taxed? Will franchises be doubled? On all these questions that led us on the street, no answer has yet been provided, which is why we maintain the pressure.

Gilles Bornstein: But for this pressure to be effective, you have to be strong. The day of the 18th was, let’s say, a mixed success. The forecasts for this new day announce a fairly limited mobilization. Do you not risk showing your weakness where you hope to demonstrate your strength?

Cyril Chabanier: No, I don’t think we will show any weakness today. The demonstration of the 18th was beautiful, and although the strike seems a little less followed this time, we will probably have a similar number of participants on the street for this day of mobilization. It will therefore remain, in my opinion, a beautiful day. We also note that our fellow citizens follow us, at least on the reason that motivates this event: obtaining a just and balanced budget, where efforts are requested from those who have the means.

Gilles Bornstein: Will there be other action days, or does it closed the series?

Cyril Chabanier: The inter-union will decide after this day. We will also wait for the Prime Minister’s speech, scheduled for Monday, although the date is not yet definitively fixed. This general policy speech will be decisive for our subsequent discussions and for the measures we will consider. We are now entering a political time.

Gilles Bornstein: So it will be more a time of negotiation than demonstration, more time of parliamentary discussion than mobilization in the street?

Cyril Chabanier: After the general policy speech, political parties will have 48 hours to deposit, or not, a motion of censorship. It’s a political time. Then we will rather direct ourselves towards negotiation.

Gilles Bornstein: I feel hardly enthusiastic about the idea of ​​immediately organizing a new day of action. Am I right?

Cyril Chabanier: At the CFTC, we always prefer to get some answers before going back to the street. It will therefore be necessary to wait for Prime Minister’s speech on Monday to assess the situation.

Gilles Bornstein: Clearly, the CFTC is not favorable to a new day of action for the moment.

Cyril Chabanier: Exactly. Today, we do not plan to return, unless the Prime Minister’s speech was unacceptable.

Gilles Bornstein: Does the situation happen better with Sébastien Lecornu than with his predecessors Michel Barnier or François Bayrou?

Cyril Chabanier: In the best of cases, it happens normally. His method is rather positive, since he leaves more freedom in the field of negotiation. Upon his arrival, he indicated that he would no longer send us any very closed framing letters, leaving little room for the discussion. We can now co-construct the negotiation program, which allows us to influence priority themes. On the method, it is therefore positive, it is still necessary to stay in office so that it can apply.

Gilles Bornstein: The negotiation program is therefore envisaged in the long term, provided that there is a political future. Concretely, did you meet him on September 24? Have you been new since? Do things are progressing?

Cyril Chabanier: We have news via his office. We should soon receive convocations for bilaterals, that is to say individual meetings with each union. Of course, he projects himself on a series of negotiations, but the immediate question remains that of the answers related to the construction of the budget.

Gilles Bornstein: What are your red lines? Your firm requirements?

Cyril Chabanier: The effort must be requested from the State, with effective management and significant savings. It is also essential to predict something for businesses. In the previous budget, there was nothing on this subject. These are not new taxes, but to assess and condition the 211 billion public aid paid to businesses, more than half of which are today without efficiency assessment.

Gilles Bornstein: Do you have the feeling that he is willing to act on this point? The senatorial report had shown that the destination of aid was not clear.

Cyril Chabanier: He told me that at a time when the country needs transparency, it would be unacceptable not to ensure this transparency concerning public aid. It is encouraging, but it would have been desirable to obtain a clear response during its maintenance on Friday. He has not done so, and for the moment, we are waiting. However, it seems ready to assess these aids in order to be able to adjust and modify the devices. We therefore hope to obtain concrete answers soon.

This text corresponds to part of the transcription of the interview above. Click on the video to watch it in full.