Union majority for unemployment insurance agreements, old people’s employment and equality – L’Humanité

After the CFTC on Monday, the CFDT and Force Ouvrière gave the green light this Thursday to the three agreements reached last week regarding the rules governing unemployment insurance, employment of the elderly and social communication. The union of CFE-CGC operators had announced that it would only verify the last two texts. As for the CGT, it is giving itself until December 3 to consult with its federations and unions, before they make their decision.

So it seems that the way is open for the signing of these three agreements, with the signature unions in the majority. On the employer side, Medef and U2P announced this Thursday that they intend to initiate the three texts. Only the CPME has not taken a decision yet.

To come into effect, the government must approve the new unemployment insurance agreement and turn the other two texts into law.

Equality is re-emerging

All the signatory groups affirm the ability of cooperatives to reach agreements, while union-employer negotiations have been reduced to a minimum by successive Macronist governments over the past seven years. In a press release, the CFDT confirms these agreements “to show the importance of social democracy and its contribution to peaceful democratic activity which is more than our country needs”.

FO is happy that paritarianism is regaining control. “Above all, this new convention is definitely burying the reform project – the seventh! – proposed before the dissolution by the government of Gabriel Attal, a reform that provided for an unprecedented tightening of the rules for jobseekers’ compensation..

At Medef, we also maintain that despite the “an economic situation characterized by strong uncertainty, the social partners have undertaken their responsibilities by managing pragmatic and effective social dialogue. “.

For the elderly and cross-border travelers, this is a tough pill to swallow

For the rest, everyone claims progress to justify their signatures. The draft text on the employment of “experienced workers” makes it possible to overcome the regression in the rights of high-level workers and cross-border unemployed contained in the new compensation rules.

Therefore, to balance the two-year decline, age limits giving entitlement to longer compensation for the elderly (from 55 to 57 years of age for 22.5 months of compensation; from 55 to 57 years for 27 months), FO opposes three progressive measures: “Strengthening social dialogue on the employment of older people, a contract to improve knowledge, aimed only at jobseekers over 60 years (57 years old with sector agreement), as part of a five-year trial, and the opening of advanced retirement from 60 years and 150 quarters ». “This is the first step in questioning the 2023 pension reform, and that repeal is more demanding than ever.”specifying the union.

The CFDT is delighted “extended access to advanced retirement from age 60”to receive “Mandatory negotiations on the recruitment of skilled workers in branches and companies with more than 300 employees” in addition to the “creating two professional interviews”. Regarding the compensation rules, the Marylise Léon confederation emphasizes it “We have strengthened the rights of vulnerable workers, first-time job seekers and seasonal workers, who will receive unemployment benefits from at least 5 months of work”.

As for employers’ representatives, the U2P welcomes the start of a reduction in employers’ unemployment insurance contributions. Medef notes that “Both agreements (unemployment insurance and jobs for the elderly) preserve the competitiveness of businesses, improve the efficiency of the social model, and support the implementation of pension reform.”.