On the reform of unemployment insurance, and more broadly of the job market, Emmanuel Macron wants to go quickly. “As of this summer, there will have to be a text of law, after discussion with the social partners”announced the President of the Republic during his televised interview on Thursday, July 14.
Stating its objective of achieving an unemployment rate of « 5 % » at the end of his five-year term, he designed a broad development of the employment market including the transformation of Pôle emploi into France Travail, but also that of vocational high schools, work for seniors and the RSA which, must “better support” the beneficiaries for “putting their foot in the stirrup”.
His goal : ” work more “. “There is no social model if there is no work to finance it”he hammered, regretting that“there isn’t a place in France where people don’t tell you: ‘I’m looking for people to work’. »
“Benefit from national solidarity to reflect on your life, I have trouble hearing it”
If he said he understood those who leave their jobs to “find another job”he warned those who rely primarily on ” solidarity ” : “If the answer is: ‘I’m going to benefit from national solidarity to reflect on my life’, I find it hard to hear it. »
Emmanuel Macron also reiterated his intention to involve the social partners in the discussion of the future law. But he will have to overcome the reluctance of unions scalded by the last negotiation on unemployment insurance, in 2018: the government had first asked them to negotiate in a very constrained framework before regaining control following the failure negotiations.
With the avowed aim of encouraging the unemployed to return to work more quickly, the government then imposed stricter compensation rules, in particular for those who accumulate short fixed-term contracts, lengthened from four to six months the working time necessary for be compensated and introduced the degressiveness of allowances for executives.
Extension for unemployment insurance rules
This passage in force in the rules of unemployment compensation, normally decided jointly by the social partners, had been very badly experienced by the unions. They had fought for a long time in court against the reform, which did not fully come into force until last December, even though the rules will become null and void from 31 October next, the date before which the social partners must agree on new procedures for unemployment benefits.
“Since the 1is July, the government should have sent a framework letter to the social partners to ask them to renegotiate an unemployment insurance agreement, which it did not do”regrets Michel Beaugas, confederal secretary of Force Ouvrière in charge of employment.
On Tuesday, on Sud Radio, Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt explained that the government was working on an extension of the current rules. A procedure which must go through the law and which could be contained in the project announced Thursday by Emmanuel Macron.
“Let’s first take stock of the usefulness of these new rules”
Unions and employers would then have time – perhaps until the end of 2023 – to renegotiate new rules within the framework imposed on them by the government, unless the executive wants to impose its views, for example by modifying the mode of governance of unemployment insurance.
Still, Olivier Dussopt assured that it was first necessary to evaluate the previous reform: “Let’s first take stock of the usefulness of these new rules. They facilitate recruitment, they facilitate employment incentives, but we only have a few months of hindsight. »
At the beginning of June, Unédic was unable to say when it will be able to produce an assessment also concerning the effects on job seekers. This one, which Unédic officials want “rigorous, complete and consolidated” should not be available for several months.