Why the simplification of the pay slip proposed by the government is criticized by unions and oppositions

Bruno Le Maire announced in particular that he wanted to remove the details of social security contributions. An announcement which immediately triggered criticism from oppositions and unions.

The Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, announced Tuesday April 23 on France 2’s “20 Heures” his intention to simplify employees’ pay slips. “Today, you have a pay slip which has 55 lines (…) it is illegible. We want a pay slip which has around fifteen lines, which is clear, simple, readable for the employee”, says Bruno Le Maire. In a message published on X a few minutes after his interviewHe is pointing out that “all information will remain available upon request from the employee”.

But barely revealed, the project to simplify the bulletin is already under fire from criticism from the unions, as well as from the opposition, both on the right and on the left. The version of the simplified bulletin that was presented “is a proposition”assures Bercy, Wednesday, to franceinfo. “We will have consultations and everyone will be able to give their opinion.” Franceinfo details the arguments of opponents of the idea defended by Bruno Le Maire.

Some missing “structuring information”

“We are a little doubtful about this simplification project”reacts Jocelyne Cabanal, national secretary at the CFDT. “In the version presented to us, structuring information is missing on the bulletin: details of overtime, overtime, recoveries, different counters, etc.”points out the trade unionist. “How can an employee ensure that all their overtime has been paid if they don’t have this information?”she asks.

“Yes, there is educational work to be done on the pay slip, but making information disappear is not simplification, it is simplism. Under the pretext of simplification, we lose understanding”, denounces Jocelyne Cabanal. She is not more convinced about the possibility for employees to request a detailed report card. “It is precisely those who are the most precarious, who would most need to check their pay slip, who will not ask for it. And we will have even more difficulty helping them”she says.

An “invisibility of the role of social contributions”

Cécile Velasquez, general secretary of the federation of social organizations at the CGT, sees in this announcement a “desire to make the role of social contributions invisible” with the simplification of the pay slip. “In the end, it is the questioning of the financing of social protection that is at stake”says the unionist.

Force Ouvrière shares this opinion. “The employee will no longer know why he and his employer contribute and how much”denounces the union in its press release. “With this reduced pay slip, no more deferred salary and the role of social contacts”argue the FO unionists. “On the contrary, we can see very clearly the share of social security contributions in the simplified pay slip”defends the Ministry of the Economy.

A “layout” that does not change the salary

“Simplifying the pay slip without simplifying the deductions is just layout”attack on Emmanuel Maquet, LR deputy for the 3rd constituency of the Somme. “What we want is to eliminate the levies”, he claims. In a column published in mid-March in Opinion, this one already called for “necessary adjustments to our social model to bring the gross closer to the net”.

“The revolution according to Bruno: reducing the pay slip to two lines. The real revolution for the French: increasing the figure at the bottom right”asserts the first secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, on.

“What is important on the pay slip is not to reduce the number of lines at all costs, but to increase the amount at the bottom of the page”also denounces Force Ouvrière in a press release published on. “FO will vigorously oppose this proposal to simplify the pay slip”says the union.

Possible long-term complications, according to the CGT

Cécile Velasquez warns employees who do not ask for details of their pay slip. “If you leave the company, or if it closes, when you have not requested details of your bulletins, and later there is a problem in the calculation of your retirement rights, for example, It will be much more complicated.”supports the CGT representative.

“We do not ask you for details of your contributions when we calculate your retirement rights”, retorts Bercy. This simplification of the pay slip “exists elsewhere among our European neighbors and does not pose a problem”specifies the Ministry of the Economy.

Finally, on the employer side, the announcement of the simplification of the pay slip is also criticized. “I’m not sure that it’s a great simplification. We’re simplifying the form, but we’re asking companies to keep all the information if by chance employees request it. We would have liked to see the method simplified. Calculation”analyzes Michel Picon, president of U2P (Union of local businesses) to the Parisian.