Workers perhaps thought the debate had ended in the fall of 2024 after thriving for a few days. The government, in search of new money to finance the welfare state, has just relaunched it. In an interview with Sunday newspaper of January 19, Catherine Vautrin raises the idea of increasing the time spent in activity by seven hours per year, without these being paid.
“This measure can, in 2025, generate 2 billion euros in revenue earmarked for social spending”declares the Minister of Labor, Health, Solidarity and Families. “It’s an avenue that is on the table”confirmed, Sunday on France 3, his colleague in charge of public accounts, Amélie de Montchalin.
This provision was introduced on November 20, 2024, by senators from the Les Républicains and Centrist Union groups, the majority at the Luxembourg Palace, following an amendment to the Social Security financing bill (PLFSS). Inspired by the “solidarity day” established in 2004, its aim was to increase levies in favor of the autonomy branch.
“No opposition in principle”
The measure in question was, however, deleted from the text, a week later, during discussions in the joint committee. For his part, Michel Barnier, the prime minister at the time, had expressed reservations about this mechanism, ” complex “according to him, to be implemented and which required, in his eyes, prior consultation of social actors.
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Today, the tone has changed a little within François Bayrou's team. In the entourage of Mme Vautrin, we affirm that “the government has no opposition in principle” and that he “will let parliamentarians decide”. The PLFSS must be examined at the beginning of February in the National Assembly in the version which was adopted in the Senate in the fall of 2024 – with the measure on seven hours of unpaid overtime work. At Matignon, we are refusing for the moment to say whether the Prime Minister intends to defend the provision, simply explaining that the executive “will respect parliamentary debate”.
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