In the National Assembly, the question of purchasing power returns to the heart of the debates

2023-06-26 05:25:11
The Minister of Labor, Olivier Dussopt, at the National Assembly, June 8, 2023. JULIEN MUGUET FOR “THE WORLD”

The question of purchasing power is back in the National Assembly. Almost a year after the adoption of a text in the midst of a period of inflation, which notably provided for the tripling of the ceiling of the “Macron bonus”, this subject will again be at the heart of parliamentary debates, Monday June 26, with the start of the consideration in public session of the value-sharing bill. This text is also an opportunity for the presidential camp to re-establish the link with the unions after six months of strong tensions linked to the pension reform, promulgated on April 14 by Emmanuel Macron. Above all, the executive wants to demonstrate its respect for social dialogue.

Read also: What is “corporate value sharing”, which the government wishes to develop?

This bill of fifteen articles aims to “to transcribe faithfully” in the law, according to the words of the Minister of Labor, Olivier Dussopt, the national interprofessional agreement (ANI) signed in February by all the employers’ organizations and trade unions, with the exception of the CGT. “The deal and nothing but the deal”, repeated Mr. Dussopt before the Social Affairs Committee of the National Assembly. For the Minister of Labour, the modifications to the text, in the Hemicycle, “can only be done with the agreement of the signatories” for YEARS.

The main measure of the bill consists of allowing companies with 11 to 49 employees to set up a mechanism “legal value sharing”, such as participation, profit-sharing or a bonus – tax-exempt and exempt from social security contributions. Only companies that make a profit are concerned “at least equal to 1% of turnover for three consecutive years”. “This can allow 1.5 million employees to have these agreements, in the form of annual bonuses”assured Mr. Dussopt, on June 21, on Sud Radio.

The text also aims to generalize the use of the value-sharing bonus – better known as the “Macron bonus” – by allowing companies to distribute it twice a year, with the possibility of paying it on a employee savings plan. However, by not mentioning a minimum distribution amount, this premium risks “cannibalize interest”, warns the ecologist deputy of Paris Eva Sas, co-author of a report on the subject with the Renaissance rapporteur of the bill, Louis Margueritte (Saône-et-Loire). The latter recognizes “a slight substitution effect of around 30%”, but employers are “very attached to this device” of “Prime Macron”, according to him, and it is therefore not planned to modify it.

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