Before Tuesday the Union of local companies (U2P), Elisabeth Borne received Monday in Matignon employers' organizations, the Medef and the CPME, who told her about the post-pension reform topics on which they were willing to negotiate.

For the Medef, Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux said he was "ready to discuss the employment of seniors" and the provisions censured by the Constitutional Council, but not a possible revision of work ordinances or pensions. The president of the Medef, who is preparing to pass the hand, mentioned the possibility of discussing "progressive retirement", the high salaries of senior executives "which slow down their hiring" or the degressivity of unemployment benefits.

The employers say they have "done the job" on wages

On wages, he reiterated that "private companies have done the job" with an average per capita salary up 5.8% according to Urssaf, unlike the State-employer where the increase is "around 2%". But he said he was ready to talk about the problem of the low increase in net wages between one and two minimum wages, while according to some studies, "between 60% and 70% of salary increases are not found in net", due in particular to the disappearance of the activity bonus.

On the other hand, Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux explained that he "did not know what it meant" to condition public aid to companies on the rise in wages, as demanded by the unions. He also said he was "not ready to negotiate" a revision of the work orders, which for him are "red lines".

The president of Medef also asked the Prime Minister that the agreement reached between employers and four unions on the sharing of value, which will be transposed into a bill presented Wednesday in the Council of Ministers, is "precedential" and that "if there is an agreement on the employment of seniors, it is taken up entirely". Finally, Geoffroy said that he was "a little wary of the expression of social agenda. We must take the subjects that are ripe" to be negotiated.

The CPME considers the Prime Minister "listening"

For its part, the Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CPME) has put back on the table its proposal to exempt seniors from unemployment insurance contributions from 57 years, "even if the company reimburses the contributions not paid if it separates from this senior before retirement," said his boss, François Asselin.

The first two employers' organisations also intend to limit the possibility of opening a time savings account in all companies to the days saved just before retirement, and not throughout working life.

"I felt someone listening", eager "to find the subjects likely to be negotiated between social partners" and to "turn the page" of pensions, said François Asselin about Elisabeth Borne.


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