The debates promise to be heated in the Senate this week. The bill “for full employment” arrived this Monday, July 10 in first reading at the Luxembourg Palace. This text carried by the Minister of Labor Olivier Dussopt aims to help the return to full employment, that is to say to tend towards an unemployment rate of around 5% by 2027, against 7, 1% today. A reform that could cost between 2 and 2.5 billion euros cumulatively, according to a government report cited by AFP.
The senatorial right-wing majority and their colleagues will therefore examine the 500 amendments tabled until Thursday, before the examination of the bill by the National Assembly in the fall. L’Express summarizes the main lines of this bill which emphasizes the duties of job seekers and recipients, and provokes the anger of left-wing organizations.
Creation of a France Travail network
The main reform of this bill “for full employment” is in one name: France Travail. It is under this name that the government wishes to bring together the various organizations supporting integration or return to work, by January 1, 2025 at the latest.
In addition to bringing together the State and local authorities, the France Travail network would bring together the current Pôle emploi agency, the hundred or so Cap emploi branches responsible for providing professional support for people with disabilities, as well as the 500 local missions dedicated to helping 16-25 year olds overcome their difficulties in training, employment, health or housing.
The government also wants to make the current Pôle emploi agency the main and coordinating structure of the France Travail network. A pilot fish which would itself be renamed France Travail from January 1, 2024, according to the government text. In the version examined this week, the senators however voted to maintain the name of Pôle emploi in order to avoid confusion.
A desire to simplify the system and make these organizations work together, although each should retain its current skills. Above all, this would imply that anyone integrated into one of these support structures is automatically registered with France Travail.
An RSA conditioned to 15 to 20 hours of activity
This single entry procedure also involves other changes. Indeed, any new member of France Travail should then sign a “contract of engagement” with the new entity. Whether he is a recipient of unemployment benefit, RSA or simply followed by a local mission.
The government’s objective is clear: to integrate the recipients of the active solidarity income (RSA), intended for people without resources, into the new professional integration agency. According to AFP, only 40% of the nearly two million RSA beneficiaries are now registered with Pôle Emploi.
The government puts forward better support for registrants, in particular by imposing on them around 15 to 20 hours of activities per week in the form of discovering a profession, upgrading or even help with writing a CV. A device already being tested in 18 departments. If the government defends a duration of activity adaptable according to the profiles, the right-wing majority in the Senate wishes to impose a minimum of 15 hours, whatever the situation of the job seeker.
Aggravated penalties for recipients
Beyond this new allocation condition, the bill would strengthen the penalties in the event of non-compliance with these obligations. In its current version, the bill “for full employment” should thus make it possible to suspend the RSA allowance for a beneficiary who does not respect the conditions set for this payment. The months of suspensions could however be paid a posteriori, if the situation is regularized. Otherwise, a total withdrawal of the allowance would be possible.
Improving the access of people with disabilities to employment
Another aspect of this bill: the integration of people with disabilities in so-called “ordinary” companies, rather than being systematically placed in specific establishments. Concretely, the text of the law provides for the automatic registration with France Travail of French people with recognition as a disabled worker (RQTH). Once their situation has been assessed, the structure will make a recommendation to the departmental houses for people with disabilities (MDPH), which take care of holders of an RQTH.
On the basis of this recommendation, they will be responsible for directing them to an establishment and service of assistance through work (ESAT), a structure allowing both to work and to have educational and medico-social support. . The MDPHs will therefore no longer be able to do it themselves.
A right which should concern both recognized disabled workers and holders of a disability pension or disability pension, according to the bill. Similarly, the rights of ESAT workers should be identical to those of so-called “ordinary” employees.
Municipalities responsible for childcare
The last part of the law moves away from the integration of employment, since it concerns the reception of young children in crèches. Detailed measures at the beginning of June by the Minister of Solidarity, Jean-Christophe Combe.
The text would thus provide for recognizing the municipalities as “organizing authorities” of reception for toddlers. Clearly, they would be responsible for identifying local needs through families and informing them of new reception offers. A role already exercised in practice by many municipalities.
Cities with more than 3,500 inhabitants would also be responsible for developing a “multi-year plan” to maintain and develop the offer of childcare, while those with more than 10,000 inhabitants would have to set up counters information and support for parents called “Relais petite enfance”. The objective of this component is to create 200,000 new childcare places by 2030, while strengthening the training of professionals and the monitoring of crèches.
A text criticized by social and political actors
Since the presentation of the bill, several criticisms have been made by the actors concerned. The National Union of Local Missions has in particular pointed out the obligation to register with France Travail for the young people that its branches support, explaining that their support work is not limited to employment. Two amendments have already been tabled to this effect.
However, it is the question of the compulsory weekly hours of activity to benefit from the RSA which has mainly caused the controversy. The environmental group denounces a “full employment at all costs” which seeks to “make everyone work regardless of the type of job”, quotes AFP. Its elected officials also criticize a bill that ignores “the social, economic and symbolic violence” imposed on the most precarious. A point of view shared by the elected socialists, communists as well as the CGT and CFDT unions. All denounce a risk of stigmatization of the unemployed by these new rules of access to benefits. Two motions of rejection have been filed to this effect against the bill.
An aspect however defended by Pascale Gruny, senator LR and rapporteur of the text. In A press releaseshe believes that this “accompaniment giving real content to the rights and duties of job seekers” is necessary for a return to full employment.