Three agreements at once: the employers and several unions managed, on Thursday, November 14, to agree on new rules on unemployment insurance and the employment of older people, with the bonus of an agreement on union channels. “After a quick negotiation, we managed to reach a conclusion this afternoon”greeted the Medef representative, Hubert Mongon, at the end of the conversations, pointing out a “majority of favorable opinions” about agreements, “with nuances”.
However, there is a problem on the part of employers: if Eric Chevée (CPME) considers that the agreement on unemployment insurance “no problem”was much more critical of that of the older people he judged “unbalanced”.
The U2P, the third employer organization that brings together artisans and merchants, has issued a “positive review” about the three agreements, its negotiator Jean-Christophe Repon told Agence France-Presse.
In addition to the compensation rules for the unemployed that must apply from January 1, 2025 and measures to promote the employment of older people, the social partners have agreed on a third agreement on social dialogue.
The first to speak, the CFDT delegation. “gives a favorable opinion on the three texts”indicated negotiator Olivier Guivarch, his CFTC counterpart, Frédéric Belouze, also made it known that his delegation “It will favorably defend these three agreements before its authorities”.
The CGT was clearly more reticent and negotiator Sandrine Mourey regretted that in the case of unemployment insurance, “hit hard”and pointing out the employment of older people “small but not big profits” for employees.
The CFE-CGC, which had already indicated that it would not sign the agreement on unemployment insurance, indicated through its negotiator Jean-François Foucard that it was in favor of the other two texts. FO still reserves its assessment of the three texts.
Unions have yet to formally consult their bodies. The unemployment insurance text, planned for four years, is an amendment to the November 2023 agreement, signed by the CFDT, FO and the CFTC, but not validated by the government. In particular, to save money, it plans to reduce compensation for unemployed cross-border workers who have worked in Switzerland, Belgium, Germany or Luxembourg. Their rights are today calculated based on their salaries in these countries, which are significantly higher than in France.
It is also planned to increase the age limits entitling to longer compensation by two years, to take into account the pension reform that the unions are contesting. Thus, the level that gives the right to a maximum of 22.5 months of compensation increases from 53 to 55 years and that which gives the right to 27 months from 55 to 57 years. The measure should provide 350 million in four years.
In favor of progressive retirements
To get closer to the 400 million euros of additional savings requested from the social partners from 2025 by the Minister of Labor, Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet, the employers accepted that the reduction from 4.05% to 4% of the contribution unemployment insurance will not take effect until May 1, 2025.
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In total, the new rules would generate some 2.3 billion savings in four years for the unemployment insurance system, according to a calculation by Unédic.
Unions and employers were eager to reach an agreement to prevent the government from regaining control, as the Attal government had done in the spring after the failure of negotiations on the elderly, publishing a decree that the unions had unanimously denounced. . ” violence “.
Discussions on unemployment insurance ended at noon, but negotiators were waiting for the later discussion on senior employment to give its verdict.
The employers fired them in the afternoon, in a “difficult point” unions. He immediately waived a progressive exemption from unemployment insurance contributions for the employer who hires an employee in “experience improvement contract”a measure supported by the CPME.
However, this new specific contract, to facilitate the hiring of older unemployed people, remains in place. The employee may be retired automatically as soon as he or she is entitled to a full pension. “It’s hard to break the habit” about contribution exemptions, joked Denis Gravouil (CGT).
The text also aims to promote progressive retirements, which are not very widespread. Accessible from the age of 60 and which allows the employee to work part-time without ceasing to contribute fully towards his retirement, the system does not, however, become a right to which the employer can no longer oppose, as the employers would have wanted. unions. .
Finally, the third chord, “a little fell from the sky”says a negotiator, intends to open negotiations on the union route and ask the Government to legislate to allow staff representatives to serve more than three terms.
