Work for free 7 hours per year: the government is bringing back this idea mentioned by senators last November. But how could the proposal apply?
The measure returns to the table. The idea of making French people work 7 hours more per year “for free” to finance Social Security and the elderly sector has just been relaunched by the Minister of Labor, Health and Solidarity.
The senators “propose working seven hours more during the year, or ten minutes more each week,” declared Catherine Vautrin in an interview with JDD Sunday January 19.
“This measure can, in 2025, generate two billion euros in revenue earmarked for social spending,” she assures.
This proposal was voted on by the Senate last November in the Social Security finance bill. But it did not pass the test of voting in the National Assembly, the deputies having voted for censure.
10 minutes a week or 2 minutes a day?
Today, the proposal is put back on the agenda by the new government. This involves making all workers work without pay for seven more hours each year, in order to finance the autonomy sector.
Concretely, the idea could take different forms. The first possibility is to eliminate a public holiday, but the measure is unpopular and other options are therefore being discussed. So these 7 hours could be split up, which would mean, for employees, working 10 minutes more per week or 2 minutes more per day.
-The logic is the same as when Pentecost Monday was established as a day of solidarity. Companies are free to decide whether they opt to eliminate a day of leave or RTT (reduction of working hours) or whether they spread these hours over the year. The SNCF, for example, had decided to distribute working time and have its employees work an additional 1 minute and 52 seconds each day.
A “flexible” device
The text adopted by the senators proposed a “flexible” systemwhich leaves the hand to the social partners to determine the implementation modalities. “The idea is really that there is a debate with the social partners on the implementation of the principle,” said the president of the Senate Social Affairs Committee, Philippe Mouiller (LR).
“Depending on the companies, depending on the branches, it can translate into one day” or spread over the year, he added.
“Total flexibility will be left to those on the ground to define (its methods of accomplishment) according to their needs and their organization,” specified the senatorial amendment.
In return for this “free” day of work, employers would see their solidarity contribution rate for autonomy increase from 0.3% to 0.6%. On France 3, Minister for Public Accounts Amélie de Montchalin confirms that “this is an avenue that is on the table, but it is up to parliamentarians to see if they want to move forward together on this subject.”
Related News :