Agreement on unemployment insurance: the rights of seniors and cross-border workers hard hit

The pressure was maintained until the last moment. After all, the subject is of major concern. Negotiations between unions and employers on unemployment insurance, launched on October 22, have just resulted in a national inter-professional agreement (ANI) on the employment of seniors, finalized on the evening of Thursday, November 14.

The latter is now subject to the signature of the trade union organizations (CGT, CFDT, CFTC, CFE-CGC), which must still formally consult their bodies before rendering their final conclusions. A decision to be taken in a tense political context: the Barnier government wants to make 400 million euros in savings, from 2025, on the backs of the unemployed to compensate for the public deficit. This new text, obtained after five negotiation sessions and planned for four years, is an amendment to the previous agreement, dating from November 2023, which was signed by the CFDT, FO and the CFTC.

The government has “greeted” the evolution of the negotiations. “It demonstrates that the method of the Prime Minister of the government is to leave room for social dialogue, to take the time to discuss, to take the time to negotiate. It's not easy, but it pays off.”declared Maud Bregeon, the government spokesperson, on the Franceinfo set this Friday morning, announcing dire days for those deprived of employment.

“Very heavy duty reductions for seniors”

New rules on unemployment insurance, on the employment of seniors and on union career paths are therefore on the table. An increase of two years in the age limits giving entitlement to longer compensation, aligned with the pension reform which pushes back the retirement age and which the unions contest, is notably provided for in the agreement. Concretely, the level which gives entitlement to 22.5 months of compensation, at most, increases from 53 to 55 years and that giving entitlement to 27 months from 55 to 57 years.

Either “very heavy reductions in rights for seniorscastigates Denis Gravouil, member of the CGT confederal office, in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter). All those aged between 53 and 57, for example, would find themselves with a loss of 4 and a half months of rights over the invitation period. » The objective stated by its supporters is that this measure brings in 350 million over four years. Overall, the new rules would make it possible to generate some 2.3 billion savings over four years for the unemployment insurance system, according to a calculation by Unédic, the association responsible for managing unemployment insurance in France.

“The CGT delegation will recommend not signing”

Another dividing point in the agreement: compensation for unemployed people who have worked in border countries, such as Switzerland, Belgium, Germany or Luxembourg. The latter could thus see their allocations “drop by almost half”shouts Denis Gravouil. He adds: “This is not acceptable for the CGT, since behind it, we find several precarious workers who often only have the border country to find work. » Their rights are today calculated on the basis of their salaries obtained in these countries.

Other measures are also included in the agreement, such as facilitating access to progressive retirement, strengthening the professional interview carried out in the year preceding or following the employee's 45th birthday or the installation compulsory employment of seniors as a subject of negotiation in companies. “The CGT had not signed an agreement which provided for three times more reductions than increases, it will decide whether it signs an agreement with 8 times more reductions than increases, explains Denis Gravouil. Obviously, the delegation will recommend not signing. »

For their part, the CFDT and CFTC delegations announced, through the voices of their negotiators, Olivier Guivarch and Frédéric Belouze, respectively to give a “favorable opinion on the three texts” and affirm the desire to “defend these three agreements before its authorities”. The CFE-CGC had already indicated that it would not sign the agreement on unemployment insurance. A choice since confirmed by its negotiator, Jean-François Foucard, who affirmed that the union remained favorable to the two other texts. Finally, FO announced that it was reserving its assessment of the three texts.

As for the bosses, the conclusions are more homogeneous. Medef praises agreements “with nuances”summarizes Hubert Mongon, the representative of the employers' organization. A feeling shared by the U2P, a structure mainly made up of artisans and traders, which issued a “positive review” on the three agreements. Only the CPME, representing small and medium-sized businesses, was more doubtful about the agreement dedicated to senior jobs, considered “not balanced”. The organization believes, however, that the agreement on unemployment insurance “no problem”. Now we have to wait for the final decisions. What is certain is that the agreement is far from unanimous.