The new reform of unemployment benefits, unveiled by employers on November 7, proposes a tightening of compensation conditions for older workers. This project, intended to save 400 million euros per year, will severely impact employees over 55, whose compensation periods will be capped: 22.5 months for those aged 55 and 56, and 27 months for those aged 57 and over. Unions are already denouncing what they consider to be a direct attack on a population already vulnerable in the job market.
In connection with the recent pension reform, the age for maintaining unemployment benefit will also be raised. Recipients will now have to reach 64 ans to maintain their allowance until they obtain their full retirement, an adjustment which raises concerns about the care of seniors at the end of their career.
Intermittents in the entertainment industry: an increasingly restrictive regime
Among the sectors most impacted by this reform are the show stoppers. The project provides for a increase in membership duration necessary to obtain compensation, setting a threshold at 580 hours for artists et 610 hours for technicianscompared to 507 hours currently. This change could exclude a significant number of professionals already weakened by the precariousness of their jobs.
Unions fear that this new restriction will lead to an exodus of talent in the cultural sector, weakening a sector already subject to strong economic fluctuations. This measure is seen by worker representatives as an attempt to gradually dismantle the specific regime for intermittent workers.
Cross-border workers: allowances revised downwards
The employers' project also introduces new rules for cross-border workers. The latter will see their allocations calculated according to a coefficient adjusted to the average salary in country of work. This could significantly reduce the amounts allocated to these workers, particularly for those employed in countries where average wages are lower than those in France.
This provision arouses the anger of union representatives, who denounce a discriminatory approach and a direct attack against the acquired rights of cross-border workers. They require a specific action plan from the operator France Work to help with a lasting return to employment, support which risks not compensating for the loss of income linked to the new rules.
Gradual implementation and tense negotiations
The provisions of this reform must apply from January 1, 2025except for certain cases where a later date could be retained. In the meantime, negotiations between employers and unions continue and should be concluded on November 14 or 15, despite fierce opposition from the unions. There CGT describes this project as a “caricature” of social values and calls for a return to the negotiating table.
Faced with employer demands perceived as intransigent, the unions are trying to mobilize to avoid what they describe as “social regression”. The Minister of Labor, Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet, is observing the discussions closely, hoping for an outcome that allows savings to be made without sacrificing the rights of the most vulnerable.
