27th FRENCH NATIONAL FEDERATION CONFERENCE

The French National Federation of Pensioners from Saving Banks held their 27th French Conference in Brive la Gaillarde, 16th-18th September 2014. An event in which Christian VERDIER, President of the Auverge Limousin region, invited us to attend, and under the presidency of Michel PAGEAULT, National President and member of the Delegate Board of our European Group.

The Bureau and the Board of Directors met on Thursday 16th to deal with the issues that concern the Federation: membership, medical insurance, pensions and the relationship with the pensioners from the cooperative banking societies.

Towards mid-afternoon, the 200 delegates were welcomed by the Deputy Mayor in the City Hall of Brive, where they were offered a welcome cocktail.

The General Assembly took place on Friday 17th, in which the delegates of the 18 French regions participated. These also represented the 6000 members of the Federation. In this Assembly, many different issues of current concern were debated.

To sum up this Conference, the Committee on Resolutions adopted five solutions that will act as the Federation’s roadmap of action during the year 2015.

1. Communication: Continuing forward with our goals to encourage new members to join our Federation thanks to a renewed, constant and non-stop communication.
    
2. The BPCE Insurance Company and the ASV Contract (health protection). Pensioners have a deep commitment to mutual insurance companies, but they ask that the rates evolve fairly, maintaining intergenerational solidarity as their foundation, therefore, we must oppose the drifts and business practises of insurers. They ask that the future contract of "dependence" that will be offered to them be affordable for everyone.
    
3. Relationships with Cooperative Bank Associations.
   Developing our relationships with Pensioner Associations from Cooperative Banking Institutions, as well as with our sponsor within the BPCE Group (Cooperative Banking Institutions and Saving Banks), because together, we represent 11000 pensioners.
    
4. Solidarity and national goals, in particular:
   •    Quick implementation of a law on "dependence".
   •    Creation of tax credit on health contributions.
   •    Re-establishing the possibility to reduce pension taxes for retirees who have raised three children or more.
   •    Maintaining the purchasing power of our pensions
    
5. Supporting the European Group, participating in its work, spreading its ideas and ensuring our presence in the Annual General Assemblies.
    

EUROPEAN GROUP

Whilst taking the floor on behalf of the European Group, I understood a clear message from our President, Cândido Vintém, who is now in Portugal. In this message, the President insists on the fact that we are a generation in charge of protecting the values that consolidate our societies. He considers that meetings among pensioners are important, as they encourage us to reflect as well as strengthen unity and friendship between us all.

Afterwards, I took a look at one of the reports from the 20th Euromeeting which took place in Fuengirola, near Málaga and I remembered the topic we debated in the Plenary Assembly: "An Age-Friendly Europe". I then took a glance at the programme for the next Euromeeting which will be held in La Coruña, Galicia 17 – 24th April 2015. I hope that the participation will be just as supportive for the 7 member countries of the Group. Meanwhile, I would like to say that we have an imperative need to promote, wherever we are, an Age-friendly European Union, since today the union of Europeans is not an option, it is a vital necessity.

AGE PLATFORM

To conclude, I reminded everyone about our membership and participation in the work of AGE, European Platform for older and retired people, with the collaboration of 28 countries. The General Assembly will be held in Brussels, 2nd - 4th December and our President, Cândido Vintém, will be the spokesman of the conclusions made in the GET (Work and Study Group) meeting.

Jean Claude CHRETIEN
Vice-President of the European Group