All of France Travail's unions denounced on Tuesday the 2025 draft budget which provides for the elimination of 500 jobs at the public operator, believing that “the cup is full”, and the majority of organizations are announcing a strike on December 5.
Eight of France Travail's ten unions are calling for a strike on December 5 to protest against the elimination of 500 jobs planned in the 2025 budget (AFP / Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT)
During a rare joint press conference, the ten unions of France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi) – CFDT, CFE-CGC, CFTC, CGT, FO, FSU, SNAP, Sud, STC, Unsa – expressed their “concern” about the workforce but also the purchasing power of some 54,000 agents or the increased use of outsourcing, while the finance bill is currently being examined in Parliament.
“There are already not enough of us (…), with an economic situation that is turning around,” argued a representative of the FSU, while most economists expect a rise in unemployment .
If the government has put forward “stabilized” funding for France Travail to the tune of 1.35 billion euros, the unions emphasize that this does not take into account inflation, which in reality implies “a mechanical reduction” , according to them.
Other sources of concern highlighted by the unions: the “full employment” law, which provides in particular that RSA beneficiaries are all automatically registered with France Travail – which will increase the burden on advisors -, and the reform of the unemployment insurance to come.
On the salary side, both public law and private law agents are struggling, underlined an elected FO, citing for the latter a 5.5% increase since 2018 to be compared to +16.3% inflation.
Several representatives felt that “the cup is full”.
The unions announced a petition and eight of them launched a call for a strike for December 5, the CFDT and the CFE-CGC, essentially believing that this call comes “a little too early”.
