Trade union and employer organizations are meeting on Monday to discuss “progression of remuneration and career paths”.
On the eve of the social conference on low wages, Elisabeth Borne proposes the establishment of a “High Remuneration Council”. “The grids of certain professional branches are no longer adapted to qualifications. Employees acquire skills that are very useful for the performance of our economy without their remuneration increasing,” lamented the Prime Minister in an interview with La Tribune Sunday, published Sunday October 15. This body will have the mission “to enlighten [cette] situation and to propose answers”.
Seven trade union organizations (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFTC, CFE-CGC, Unsa and Solidaires) and six employers (Medef, U2P, CPME, Fnsea, Fesac and Udes) are due to meet on Monday at the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (Cese) in Paris, with a plenary session in the morning, workshops in the afternoon and a closing plenary. “The heart of this conference will be the progression of remuneration and career paths”, explains the head of government. “Some employees start their professional lives on the minimum wage and are still there years later, it’s discouraging”she laments.
“Incentivize” but not “constrain” businesses
The themes covered during this conference will be: “conventional minimums, classifications and career paths”, “part-time and short contracts”, “exemptions from contributions, activity bonuses and reduction in remuneration”, according to Matignon. Under pressure from several unions, the theme of gender equality was added at the last minute.
The Prime Minister warned that this conference was not aimed at “constrain” businesses. “We want to encourage, drive, follow progress”she explained. “There are professional branches whose salary levels are below the minimum wage, certain branches have not reviewed their salary scale for more than twenty years”according to Elisabeth Borne. Around 60 professional sectors currently have minimums below the minimum wage, instead of 145 in May, according to the Ministry of Labor.