The Prime Minister explained, Wednesday March 27, that he was in favor, in particular, of a reduction in the duration of unemployment insurance compensation “several months”. Since this speech on TF1’s 8 p.m. show, the reactions have continued.
“Reducing compensation, we are not in favor of it”, reacted on franceinfo Jean-Eudes du Mesnil du Buisson, secretary general of the Confederation of small and medium-sized enterprises (CPME). “People who are unemployed did not ask for it. They must be able to continue living”, adds Jean-Eudes du Mesnil du Buisson. But he recalls that in France, “we have a system which is extremely favorable compared to others in Europe”.
“And can we pay or not? Unfortunately, the answer is no.”
Jean-Eudes du Mesnil du Buisson, general secretary of the CPMEfranceinfo
Recalling that there is “still three million unemployed people receiving compensation and a very large number of companies which are unable to find employees when they need them”the boss of the CPME believes that there is “a problem”. Jean-Eudes du Mesnil du Buisson “the question arises of the current unemployment insurance system. He mentions the possibility of entering the unemployment insurance system, “do you have to have worked 6 months in the last two years or 6 months in the last 18 months”. The general secretary of the CPME “would be quite favorable to it”.
Jean-Eudes du Mesnil du Buisson also notes “a lack in the intervention” of the Prime Minister. Gabriel Attal spoke “increase in revenue, but relatively little reduction in expenditure, particularly by the State”. “If there is no reform of the civil service, we will not be able to resolve the problem” of the deficit, estimates the boss of the CPME.
“A populist consideration” believes the CFE-CGE
“It’s really a populist consideration, it’s the government in the corner of the bar, it’s absolutely scandalous”denounces in turn, on franceinfo, the president of the CFE-CGC executives union, François Hommeril. “He claims that when we hit the unemployed more on the head, they find a job more easily, but that’s fake, studies prove it”, believes François Hommeril. “It’s really a populist consideration, it’s the government in the corner of the bar, it’s absolutely scandalous.”
According to the president of the CFE-CGC, “Gabriel Attal is in contradiction with what he himself said during the last unemployment insurance reform”: “He said that it was necessary to take better care when economic conditions are unfavorable, which is the case now, and take less responsibility when they are better. He contradicts himself.”
“What does Gabriel Attal want? He wants a 52-year-old senior technician, unemployed, to accept any job, from diving to guarding a parking lot,” he continued. “He wants to display figures that have no connection with actual reality. It is a particularly frightening speech, which is to tell the unemployed that they are parasites of society.”
“The government’s argument is false” denounces the CGT
“We are absolutely not ready to negotiate on these bases,” affirmed, on franceinfo, Victoire Bech, member of the national management of the unemployed and precarious branch of the CGT. “The only consequence that a further reduction in the compensation period for the unemployed will have is to impoverish a large part of the population,” denounced Victoire Bech. “To reduce the public deficit, we would have to attack unemployment insurance, which is a problem for the millions of unemployed individuals”she denounced, explaining that “The government’s argument is false.”
According to her, this reform will have the consequence of “forcing more and more workers to accept low-cost jobs and lowering the price of labor power in general.” “If this is the agreement that is proposed, we will refuse this agreement,” she finished.
“The government is taking things the other way around” warns FO
“We are going to throw millions of people into the RSA”, alerted, on franceinfo, Michel Beaugas, confederal secretary Force Ouvrière. Michel Beaugas recalls that FO were already “not in favor of previous reforms”. He notes that the Prime Minister has “already announced that he wanted to reduce compensation by several months, therefore to 12 months. “In two years, job seekers have lost 50% of their compensation duration with the three reforms”, affirms Michel Beaugas. “It’s a lot, it will impoverish them.” The confederal secretary of Force Ouvrière adds that, “how we are going to remove the ASS”specific solidarity allowance, “we are going to throw millions of people into the RSA”.
The solution to reducing unemployment, according to Michel Beaugas”it is to increase salaries.” “By increasing the salaries of all employees, with better working conditions, job seekers would find employment, since the conditions would be correct, and there would be necessary income.” For FO, “once again, the government is doing things the other way around.”
The Force Ouvière union “will wait to have the framework letter” of the Prime Minister before the negotiation on unemployment insurance. But according to Michel Beaugas, “this could be a trap.” He recalls that ministers “said that the State should take over unemployment insurance.” He fears that the government will put the unions “in a position to ensure that we cannot find an agreement” to make them “bear responsibility for failure”. “What they want is to take back control of unemployment insurance and dispossess the equal partners of management”adds Michel Beaugas.
A “fairly sordid” idea for LFI
For “to make poor people, there [Gabriel Attal] has ideas” but when it comes to “attack the great fortunes, he would have no ideas”, is surprised, on franceinfo, Alexis Corbière, LFI deputy for Seine-Saint-Denis. Asked about the taxation of superprofits, Gabriel Attal declared that he did not “never had any dogma on the subject.” “We have a very arrogant Prime Minister or at least very determined when it comes to attacking those in difficulty, on the other hand he has no ideas, he is not closed – he tells us – but let us make proposals to attack super-profits”, annoys Alexis Corbière.
For the MP, Gabriel Attal’s statements on the subject of unemployment insurance are “a provocation”, “a threat to attack those who are in difficulty”. “This clearly announces that we are going to reduce rights which are not luxury”, continues the MP. For him, the reduction in the duration of unemployment hides an idea “quite sordid” because “false and ideologically quite detestable” who is “that we must encourage people to look for work as if those who are unemployed are still somewhat responsible for their situation and that we must shake them up.”
The government “not up to the challenges” according to LR
The government “is not up to the challenges” criticizes Fabien Di Filippo, LR deputy for Moselle. He assures that he does not “absolutely nothing against the measures which make it possible to encourage the return to employment of the French as quickly as possible”. But he points “a discrepancy” in what was announced. The secretary of the Finance Committee of the National Assembly assures that “the State will have to borrow more than 180 billion euros this year to balance its budget. while “unemployment insurance will be in surplus in 2024 by a few billion euros”.
The MP points in particular to the “revaluation of 4.6% of the RSA on April 1”. “That alone is an additional hit of 700 million euros per year to be borne by the departments. We continue in the mismanagement of spending on assistance. It is asymmetrical to the discourse and the words that can be used by the Prime Minister.” Fabien Di Filippo sees in Gabriel Attal’s speech “a lot of communication, but in the actions, the courage is absolutely not there”.
“Scandalous” remarks, believes the RN
Gabriel Attal’s words are “scandalous”, declares, on franceinfo, Philippe Ballard, spokesperson for the RN, deputy for Oise. “I was scandalized listening to Gabriel Attal this evening”, continues Philippe Ballard who describes “lies” the Prime Minister’s remarks. The deputy assures him, “Emmanuel Macron has increased the debt in seven years by 1,000 billion euros”. In front of this situation, “it requires efforts from the unemployed”. For Philippe Ballard, the government is “lost”. He compares it to “Sinking Titanic” while the rating agencies are preparing to rate France: “We’re going to finish sinking,” he concludes.