Invited this Tuesday morning to the "4 Vérités" program on France 2, Sophie Binet launched a full-scale attack against the National Rally and the government. The general secretary of the CGT denounced the National Rally's proposed ban on headscarves, called for price controls on certain products, and demanded the rejection of a budget that she described as "regressive" for workers.
Regarding the headscarf, Sophie Binet accuses the National Rally (RN) of "diverting attention from social issues." She considers the ban in public spaces "unenforceable" and contrary to her understanding of secularism. "Secularism is a freedom. It is the freedom to believe or not to believe," she reiterated, warning against its exploitation to "stigmatize a religion."
"A huge smokescreen" regarding wages
The head of the CGT union also opposed the idea of bringing net pay closer to gross pay by reducing social security contributions. "That's a huge smokescreen," she declared. According to her, reducing contributions means reducing pension, unemployment, and health insurance benefits. She is instead calling for an increase in gross wages.
Sophie Binet also denounced "the relentless targeting of the sick" in the debate on sick leave and called on the government to examine its causes, including the deterioration of working conditions.
Faced with rising prices, the CGT is demanding more than the announced aid for energy and fuel. Specifically, it wants to freeze certain prices, particularly fuel prices, impose stricter regulations on food prices, and tax "super-profits," including those in large retailers and the agri-food industry.
Finally, Sophie Binet is calling for strong social mobilization in September, with a major strike planned for September 29th concerning wages and public services. She also stated her support for rejecting the budget if it includes new austerity measures: "We must block a budget that is regressive for workers."
