2023-10-16 20:24:25
Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne announced several proposals this Monday, following a social conference bringing together the social partners. The union organizations (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFTC, CFE-CGC, Solidaires and Unsa) and employers (Medef, U2P, CPME, FNSEA, Fesac and Udes) were gathered for this high mass all day long at the Economic and Social Council and environmental (Cese) in the presence of several ministers.
“We find ourselves today with the desire that work pays better and to relaunch social promotion”, the Prime Minister underlined at the opening. “It is the negotiation which will lead to the revision of the classification grids” and “which will change the minimum salaries of the branches which are still below the minimum wage”, she clarified, even if “of course, the State will take all His part “.
“10 branches have minimums that are permanently lower than the minimum wage”
Élisabeth Borne notably gave professional branches with salary minimums below the minimum wage until June 1 to make “significant progress”. If nothing is done, “the government will propose to Parliament a text of law which will allow exemptions to be calculated, not on the basis of the minimum wage, but on the basis of the branch minimum”, declared the Prime Minister. She also confirmed the creation of a High Council for Remuneration, which will focus in particular on part-time work and short contracts.
Our ambition for full employment must go hand in hand with good employment.
The Social Conference meets a dual objective: that work pays better and that social promotion is relaunched.
Because we have a conviction: it is first and foremost from work that purchasing power comes. pic.twitter.com/eT9R9B68Ej
— Élisabeth BORNE (@Elisabeth_Borne) October 16, 2023
Given that the minimum wage increases more quickly (with inflation, to which it is indexed) than the rest of wages, certain branch minimums are caught up, generating a “flattening” of wages, denounced by the unions. In this regard, the Ministry of Labor will “soon” receive all branches with minimums below the minimum wage “so that they can explain their delay”. “We will make known the list of these branches in the coming weeks,” said the Prime Minister.
Today, 56 branches are not in compliance and “10 branches have minimums that are permanently lower than the minimum wage”, according to Élisabeth Borne. “Of course, there have been improvements in recent years, but the situation remains unsatisfactory” and “we must together quickly remedy this situation,” she said. “Everyone must take responsibility. I invite these branches to open negotiations without delay. And if that’s not enough, we’ll take our own,” she concluded.
However, companies in these branches that already have salary scales in line with the minimum wage “will not be affected”, clarified Élisabeth Borne. Medef (employers) pointed out that “sanctioning a company that is up to date with its salaries, on the grounds that its branch is not, is legally impossible”.
Unconvinced unions
Élisabeth Borne also proposed this Monday to build within 18 months a new index of professional equality between women and men. This new index, “more ambitious, more transparent”, will, according to the head of government, allow us to anticipate the transposition of the European directive on salary transparency. The Prime Minister also confirmed the creation of a High Council for Remuneration, which will focus in particular on part-time work and short contracts. She also announced a mission entrusted to experts on social contribution exemptions.
The Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire, for his part, mentioned different “work directions”, such as the need to “boost productivity”, and improve gender equality.
After these interventions, the unions were skeptical. “There’s no point in having us come for a day of social conference dedicated to salaries if we don’t talk about salaries,” said Sophie Binet, head of the CGT. “I have doubts about the fact that we can deal with things when we have visions” based on “statistics, Excel spreadsheets and curves,” added Marylise Léon (CFDT). While for François Hommeril (CFE-CGC) “Bruno the Mayor is very strong, he closed all the doors”.
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