The first employers' organization in France targets intermittent workers in the entertainment industry. A text sent to AFP on Wednesday by two unions reveals that their right to receive unemployment benefit must be discussed on Friday between employers' and union organizations, as part of negotiations on compensation for the unemployed. It is presented as an annex to the memorandum of understanding of November 10, 2023, and aims to respond to the government's request “to improve the financial balance of the regime”, by offering additional savings.
The employers' document suggests raising the minimum number of hours worked by intermittent workers in the entertainment industry to be able to benefit from unemployment benefit from 507 hours over the last 12 months, to 580 hours for artists, and 610 hours for technicians. As intermittent workers in the entertainment industry are more frequently unemployed than other employees by the nature of their activity, their sector benefits more from the allowances than it contributes to them, and is regularly the subject of criticism due to its high cost for the worker. unemployment insurance.
As a reminder, the last agreement on unemployment insurance signed in November 2023 provided for the maintenance of compensation rules that employers already initially wanted to tighten. Each year, the 130,000 intermittent entertainment workers cause a deficit for Unedic – whose financial balance is good – of nearly 950 million euros.
A coefficient to reduce compensation for cross-border workers
Furthermore, the employers' project proposes to introduce a coefficient to reduce compensation for cross-border workers, currently calculated in relation to their last remuneration abroad, generally significantly higher than what is practiced on the labor market. French. Finally, the text calls for the establishment of a “working group” on the system, criticized by employers, of bonus-malus which modulates the employer contribution for unemployment insurance, in certain branches to discourage the signing of short contracts.
Unemployment insurance: intermittent workers, the only ones, have managed to preserve their rights
Negotiations between social partners on unemployment insurance and employment of seniors, launched at the end of October, must conclude on November 14 and the new unemployment insurance agreement will replace the current rules for compensation for the unemployed from January 1. .
Prime Minister Michel Barnier announced in his general policy declaration his desire to give control back to the social partners on the subject of unemployment insurance. His predecessor Gabriel Attal presented new rules in May 2024 which tightened the compensation system. But the corresponding decree was never published, due to the dissolution of the National Assembly.
(With AFP)
