Unemployment insurance, negotiations on the employment of seniors, civil service… Is social dialogue broken down in France?

Negotiations seem to be failing recently between unions, employers and government.

A toughening standoff between the unions and the Minister of the Civil Service, unions and employers who are failing to negotiate on the employment of seniors… Is social dialogue broken down? Stanislas Guerini wants “lift the taboo of layoffs” in the public service. Consequence: the CGT filed strike notices in the three branches from April 15 to September 15, a period which covers the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Beyond the substance of this issue of layoffs, it is also the form that angered the organizations: an announcement made in the press. For weeks, we have felt that discussions have been slipping around civil service reform. Last month, unions demonstrated for better salaries while the ministry promised compulsory annual negotiations as in the private sector. Three days later, however, he announced that the agents’ pay slips would not change in 2024.

A struggling social dialogue also between the social partners

The social partners parted ways last night, recognizing failure regarding this new pact for life at work. According to the unions, the text submitted by employers is not sufficient to improve the employment of seniors in particular and does not provide any new rights for employees, who have nevertheless taken “two more years on the job.”

Two days of laborious discussions, five successive versions of this draft employers’ agreement, modified five times but at the margins, nothing has changed on the main red lines of the unions. “We lost a lot of time”deplores the CFTC which wonders “if the employers really wanted to achieve something”.

The CGT and Medef reproach each other for their inaction. The president of Medef Patrick Martin assures us: “We negotiated in good faith”. He who nevertheless did not expect “nothing revolutionary” at the end of this negotiation. Regardless, this announced failure sends the wrong message according to one negotiator. This agreement should have been transcribed as is into law. From now on, the government could take the measures it wants in its own way, in particular the employers’ proposals.

The failure of the negotiation on unemployment insurance

In theory, the new compensation rules negotiated last November by the social partners were to be finalized on Wednesday morning, immediately. But the meeting planned at Unedic was postponed. Questioned after the council of ministers, the Minister of Labor Catherine Vautrin had these words: “We never rejoice when social dialogue does not go all the way.”

The feeling of failure seems shared by the executive. However, it was he who imposed a very strict financial framework on these negotiations last fall. In any case, the government should soon have, once again, a free hand to regain control of unemployment insurance while the Prime Minister wants to tighten the rules. The loop would be closed at the expense of social dialogue.