By 210 votes against 140, the National Assembly gave Tuesday, November 16 a final green light to the bill initiating a new reform of unemployment insurance. A bill that has evolved since the start of discussions five years ago, but the spirit remains the same: it is a new tightening of screws for job seekers.
During his first five-year term, Emmanuel Macron had voted a unemployment insurance reform already controversial. This new text extends the previous one and above all gives the government the possibility of extending or modifying by decree the rules of unemployment insurance until the end of 2023, instead of the social partners. This will allow it to introduce a modulation of benefits according to the unemployment rate and the number of vacant jobs in the country. In the event of an improvement in the economic situation, the rights of an unemployed person could fall by 15% to 25%. The compensation time could go from 24 to 18 months.
Other provisions: no unemployment benefit in the event of refusal of a CDI offer twice within a year. This concerns job seekers on fixed-term contracts or on temporary assignments. If they refuse a permanent contract on the same post, they will be deprived of allowances. Same punishment for those who abandon their post. This will now be considered a resignation. And the job seeker will not be able to open his rights to unemployment.
► Read also : the unemployment insurance reform continues to divide in the workplace
All the unions are upwind against this reform which also provides for a bonus-malus system on employer contributions in order to encourage employers to limit short contracts. In the Assembly, the deputies on the left opposed it, as well as those of the RN. The Senate, dominated by the right, must still approve the text one last time Thursday morning, which will be worth final adoption by Parliament.
(with agencies)