The French government should stop reducing unemployment benefits for cross-border workers who work in Switzerland, several French parliamentarians have announced. Announced last November, this idea of reform sparked an outcry.
Anger has been brewing in recent weeks in the border departments. Elected officials and local unions united against an agreement signed in Paris between employers and certain French unions. This agreement provided for a change in the calculation of unemployment benefits for cross-border workers from 2025, a measure deemed unfair by the CGT, which estimated that these benefits could be halved.
Faced with this challenge, the French government seems to have given in. During a small committee meeting with a few parliamentarians, the Minister of Labor, Astrid Pannosyan-Bouvet, reportedly confirmed the abandonment of the reform, citing its unconstitutional nature. This announcement, reported by several elected officials to RTS, has not yet been made official, the government being focused on the motion of censure which ultimately led to its overthrow on Wednesday.
>> Read also: French cross-border workers could receive less unemployment benefit
Pending debate
Although this announcement was received with relief by elected officials and unions, it does not end the debate. Unions and parliamentarians from border regions want France and Switzerland, but also other neighboring countries such as Germany and Luxembourg to sit down at the negotiating table. Indeed, the question of unemployment among cross-border workers could resurface when new savings measures are considered.
This involves re-examining the current system for managing unemployment for French cross-border workers. Currently, these workers contribute in Switzerland, but in the event of job loss, it is France which takes care of the payment of their compensation.
“Insufficient” contribution
A situation considered unbalanced by defenders of cross-border workers, who believe that Switzerland’s financial contribution remains insufficient. Two avenues are suggested by the latter: either an increase in the compensation paid by Switzerland, or a system in which Switzerland would directly take charge of the payment of social contributions.
But given the political uncertainty in France, this complex issue will still require time and could experience new twists and turns.
Radio subject: Anouk Pernet
Web texts: Hélène Krähenbühl
Swiss
