Finance expenses related to dependent and disabled elderly people. Twenty years after the establishment of a first day of solidarity, the Senate – with a majority from the right and the center – approved (by 216 votes against 119), the proposal of the general rapporteur of the social affairs committee, Élisabeth Doineau (Centrist Union). The measure consists of asking employees to work an additional seven hours during the year, unpaid.
Pensions, day of solidarity… The Senate seizes the Social Security budget
In exchange for the benefit of these overtime hours “ free », Companies will see their solidarity contribution for autonomy double, from 0.3% to 0.6%. Employers will thus pay 2.5 billion euros to the autonomy branch of Social Security. The fact remains that the measure is far from being adopted. And for good reason, it must be debated in the Joint Committee, where deputies sit. However, within the government, opinions differ.
The reserved and divided government
Initially, Prime Minister Michel Barnier said to himself “ very reserved » when faced with the proposition. The tenant of Matignon is not comfortable with the idea of making people work without paying them. Within the executive, opinion is not divided.
“It’s an interesting avenue. This is part of the discussions to find additional resources for our public accounts,” reacted Marc Ferracci, Minister of Industry.
Same story with Antoine Armand, Minister of the Economy. He too believes that this option deserves to be studied. “ The question of working time is not a taboo and must be asked. Should this happen through an amendment to the Social Security financing bill? Today, the government's position is no. That this can be reworked with the social partners, I think that could be a good idea », agreed the Minister of Public Accounts, Laurent Saint-Martin.
Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet, Minister of Labor, is more cautious. She believes that it must be the subject of negotiation with the social partners. As a reminder, unions and employers have just agreed on the employment of seniors and the reform of unemployment insurance. No question of ruining the new-found confidence and adding irritants.
And all the more so as the government is preparing to launch a consultation on pension reform. The ambition: to block the New Popular Front's bill to repeal Emmanuel Macron's reform, debated on November 28.
A tempting loot
Still, giving up 2.5 billion euros is far from negligible. As a reminder, the Social Security deficit exceeds 18 billion euros this year. However, the executive has agreed – to ensure political support – to reduce certain planned savings (freezing pensions, in particular).
« In addition, the bill proposed by Élisabeth Doisneau is smartconfides a ministerial advisor. Because it would not be a day less, but hours more worked. Which amounts to the same thing, but avoids attacking the sacrosanct public holidays ».
The senators advocate flexibility and leave employers on the front line. The latter will have the choice to organize additional working hours. By removing a day of RTT, for example. Business leaders will also be able to request an extra half hour of work at certain times of the year. As for the first day of solidarity, the terms of application of which have been relaxed over time, the distribution of these seven hours of solidarity will be defined by a company agreement, a convention or a branch agreement.
An increase in contributions is never well accepted by employers. It is clear that the latter is stuck, to the extent that he has been demanding, for a long time, that the French work more. Unsurprisingly, the unions are resolutely against it.
Finally, the last argument to which the executive is not insensitive: this measure was among the recommendations of a recent senatorial report on the degraded financial situation of nursing homes.
It remains to be seen whether it will be maintained in the final version of the bill. Faced with the multitude of social conflicts already underway (farmers, civil servants, railway workers, etc.), the government fears that these 7 annual hours will open the thorny debate on the average working time in France. An extremely sensitive subject since the 35 hours. He fears that this will be the spark that ignites the country.
