Unemployment insurance and employment of seniors: the government “welcomes” the agreements of the social partners

The government “greet” Friday the agreements reached during the night by employers and several unions on the new rules of unemployment insurance and on the employment of seniors, a few months after the failure of previous negotiations.

Unions and employers were keen to agree to prevent the government from taking back control, as the Attal government had done in the spring after the failure of negotiations on seniors, publishing a decree – since abandoned – in which the unions unanimously denounced the « violence ».

“This demonstrates that the Prime Minister’s method of leaving room for social dialogue is bearing fruit”said government spokesperson Maud Bregeon on Friday morning on Franceinfo.

“Today, we have union organizations which have finally reached an agreement” et “obviously we salute him”she continued, specifying that the Prime Minister will speak on this issue on Friday afternoon.

At the end of a negotiation « flash » of a few weeks, held in a context of seeking savings, the social partners negotiated both the new rules for compensation for the unemployed, which must apply from January 1, the measures to promote the employment of seniors, as well as a surprise agreement on social dialogue.

The CFDT delegation gave “a favorable opinion on the three texts”indicated its negotiator Olivier Guivarch during the night, like the CFTC, according to its representative, Frédéric Belouze.

The CGT, the second largest union, was clearly more reluctant, with negotiator Sandrine Mourey deploring that on unemployment insurance, “it hits hard”and pointing to the employment of seniors “small but no big gains” for employees.

The CFE-CGC clarified that it would not sign the agreement on unemployment insurance but the two others; while FO reserves its assessment.

The unions must still formally consult their bodies before validating these agreements.

2.3 billion euros in savings

The unemployment insurance text, planned for four years, is an amendment to the November 2023 agreement – signed by the CFDT, FO and the CFTC, but not validated by the government. In particular, to save money, it plans to reduce compensation for unemployed cross-border workers who have worked in Switzerland, Belgium, Germany or Luxembourg.

Their rights are today calculated on the basis of their salaries in these countries, which are significantly higher than in France.

An increase of two years in the age limits giving entitlement to longer compensation, to take into account the pension reform that the unions are contesting, is also planned.

The level giving entitlement to a maximum of 22.5 months of compensation thus increases from 53 to 55 years and that giving entitlement to 27 months from 55 to 57 years. The measure should bring in 350 million over four years.

To get closer to the 400 million euros in additional savings requested from 2025 from the social partners by the government, employers have accepted that the reduction from 4.05% to 4% of the employer contribution to unemployment insurance will not take place. until May 1, 2025.

Overall, the new rules would make it possible to generate some 2.3 billion savings over four years for the unemployment insurance system, according to a calculation by Unédic.

On the employment side of seniors, the employers have given up ballast by immediately renouncing a progressive exemption from unemployment insurance contributions for the employer who recruits an employee in “experience enhancement contract”a measure supported by the CPME.

This new contract specific to seniors, to facilitate the hiring of older unemployed people, nevertheless remains. The employee may be automatically retired as soon as he is entitled to a full pension.

The text also intends to promote progressive retirements, which are not very widespread.

Accessible from the age of 60 and allowing the employee to work part-time while continuing to contribute at full rate for their retirement, the system does not however become a right to which the employer could no longer oppose, as the the unions would have wanted.

The third agreement, “fell a little from the sky”says a negotiator, aims to open discussions on union pathways and ask the government to legislate to allow staff representatives to serve more than three mandates.

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