The Christmas present is only little appreciated. The Ministry of Labor sent the social partners on Friday the draft decree implementing the new reform of unemployment insurance, with the track of a reduction in the duration of compensation by 40% if unemployment falls below 6%. . “On the merits, as on the method, it is a very bad Christmas present”, reacted this Sunday Denis Gravouil, in charge of the unemployment insurance file for the CGT.
“This government is in the process of smashing unemployment insurance and when it has all the unions in front, whether on unemployment insurance or pensions, it absolutely does not take it into account”, deplores Denis Gravouil in an interview. to France info, accusing the government of wanting to “make considerable savings on unemployment insurance”.
Initially unveiled by the AEF agency, the text provides – as the government had announced when presenting the reform at the end of November – a 25% reduction in the duration of compensation for all jobseekers eligible for employment. unemployment insurance from February 1 in mainland France.
A threshold increased from 5 to 6%
New fact, it also envisages that with an unemployment rate below 6% (against 7.3% currently), the duration of compensation is reduced by 40% and not by 25%. In presenting the reform, the Minister of Labor Olivier Dussopt had mentioned the possibility of a hardening, but in the event of unemployment below “5%”, or the level at which we can speak of “full employment”.
“The modulation of unemployment insurance according to the situation is not a solution to achieve full employment, deplores the CFDT, in a press release published on the eve of Christmas. This drastic and unprecedented reduction in the rights of job seekers will in no way improve their entry into the labor market and will only aggravate the difficulties encountered by these people. And the union to ask for “intelligent solutions on the quality of employment and support for the people concerned”.
“Doing this on the sly on December 23 proves that they do not have a clear conscience”, for his part accused Jean-François Foucard, confederal secretary of the CFE-CGC, to Le Monde.
The opposition also denounces
The criticisms are shared by the opposition, on the left. “Santa Claus is garbage 2”, commented on Twitter the former presidential candidate for the Communists, Fabien Roussel. “It’s the government of the bogeyman,” denounces him, the First Secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure.
This announcement comes as Unédic had drawn up, a few days ago, an initial assessment of the previous reform of unemployment insurance. This showed an average drop of 16% in daily allowances for the unemployed affected. Launched in 2019 and fully entering into force at the end of 2021, this reform has notably tightened the conditions for compensation for jobseekers, in particular those alternating periods of work and inactivity.