The solution to the crisis announced on Friday by the Prime Minister on the 1is-Is May acceptable to all parties?
“At this point it seems quite complicated. A few days ago, the tone was not at all the same, with a desire for status quo for the 1is May 2026, and branch negotiations to come for 2027. In any case, that is what everyone understood. We can therefore legitimately be surprised by this announcement, even if the list of professions authorized to work is limited to bakers and florists, and therefore much more restricted than what was provided for in the Attal bill. But clearly, the image of 1is-Mai is dog-eared. We do not see how, in the wake of bakers and florists, other professions would not say: “And why not us?”. From the moment the first sectors obtain exemptions, this only increases. »
Could this have consequences for relations between the government and the unions?
“Since 2023, we cannot say that they are in good shape. And we don’t see how what has just been announced could improve things. It must be said that the 1is-May is a sensitive subject. It’s July 14 for unions. Even for the most reformists, like the CFDT, what was envisaged in the bill supported by Gabriel Attal was unacceptable. »
Why is May 1 so important in the eyes of trade union organizations?
“For the unions, the 1is-May refers to an entire social history that is theirs, made up of success or extreme tensions. Trade union organizations are attached to historical roots and that day is one of them, par excellence. It is the only public holiday that is theoretically non-working, but we see what happens with other public holidays: businesses are open more and more often. Expanding the possibility of working on that day tends to trivialize it. At the same time, this refers to the way in which our societies are evolving, with a process of more flexible working hours, and an expansion of working hours, particularly on Sundays. »
This tension around the 1is-Does May portend a tense social climate in the coming months?
“It depends how you see things. Mass social mobilization? No, I don’t think so, especially since the government will not seek to bring back a major bill between now and the 2027 elections. We will be more in a waiting position. »
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