“It’s surreal!” “: trade union protest after Bruno Le Maire’s remarks on unemployment of older people

Another provocation! The reaction from trade unions is unanimous after Bruno Le Maire’s statements on compensation for older people. The Economy Minister threw down the issue, saying he was in favor of shortening the duration of unemployment benefits. In particular, he said, the rules should be brought in line with those for other unemployed people, namely eighteen months for everyone – compared to the current period of twenty-two and a half months for people 55 and 57 years and twenty-seven months. from 57 years old.

His arguments? The first is to “shake up the chips” of the “French social model”, otherwise “there will be no unemployment rate of 5%” at the end of the five-year period (compared to today’s 7.4%) – the goal set by Emmanuel Macron’s push for full employment. Then, since in the eyes of the minister, this differentiated duration with today’s longer compensation for older people would be “complete hypocrisy, a way to send them to early retirement,” he assured.

“Everyone knows that it is more difficult for older people to find work”

Comments that anger trade unions. “Compensation rules are decided by employers’ organizations and trade unions, not by the Minister of Economy! “,” takes offense at CFDT co-leader Olivier Guivarc, dismissing these remarks as “political comments not based on numbers.” “It’s a scandal. Everyone knows that it’s harder for older people to find work. The problem comes from companies,” says Denis Gravouille of CGT. According to Pôle emploi, people over 55 remain unemployed for an average of 806 days, compared with 370 days for all ages combined. “It’s surreal!” They are looking for money and telling stories,” says Jean-François Foucard of the CFE-CGC.

Everyone remembers that from February 1 (by decree) the rules are being tightened, reducing the payment periods for pensioners by 25%. Thus, the duration was reduced from twenty-seven to twenty-two and a half months for job seekers aged 53 to 55, and from thirty-six months to twenty-seven months after 55 years of age. Discussions due to begin soon between the social partners envisage further reductions in entitlements, in particular by raising the age limits of compensation for older people by two years to reach 440 million in savings, as enshrined in the latest unemployment insurance contract.