This rejection of article 2 of the pension reform project, which provides for the creation of a “senior index” in companies, constitutes a major setback for the government and the presidential majority in this complicated examination.
Article 2 was rejected by 256 votes to 203, with 8 abstentions. La Nupes, which welcomed this result with cheers and songs, as well as the LR and RN groups, spoke out against this “senior index”, which should make it possible to improve the employment of older employees, but perceived as inefficient.
” Severe snub », « warning shot for the executive: deputies opposing the reform project applauded this vote on Twitter, on the 6th day of the session, in a still tense atmosphere. ” Tonight, the whole left and the FN celebrate the fact of removing ” this index, lamented for his part the Minister of Labor Olivier Dussopt, who called them “ Tartuffe “.
This defeat for the presidential camp was looming due to the defection of the right, whose votes are necessary for the macronists to reach an absolute majority. The LR deputies, towards whom the Prime Minister had nevertheless made a gesture earlier by making new concessions on long careers, consider that the index is ” unsuited to the realities of SMEs » and that he is not going « not improve the employment rate of seniors “. They argued for business incentives.
The index could perhaps however be reintroduced in the continuation of the parliamentary shuttle. The government wishes to make it compulsory from November 2023 for companies with more than 1,000 employees, for those with more than 300 employees from July 2024, and those with more than 50 employees from July 2025, this last threshold having been added by amendments from all benches.
Knife without handle
Employers must be liable to financial penalties in the event of non-publication of this index, but no obligation of result has been set in terms of employment of seniors. A Renaissance proposal for a constraint, which had the support of the Minister of Labour, had earlier been rejected by the National Assembly. The LR group had come out against it, and the Horizons group, an ally of the majority, was divided. It was a question of imposing an obligation to negotiate a company agreement in the event of deterioration of the results in terms of employment of seniors, under penalty of penalties.
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” It looks like a sketch “, had mocked the boss of the PCF Fabien Roussel, who did not expect any concrete effect. More generally, the left regards the index finger as ” a hollow shell ” Or “ a handleless knife that has lost its blade “. “ Why didn’t you start with a law on aging at work, the employment of seniors to conclude whether or not a pension reform was necessary? asked Boris Vallaud (PS). Aurélien Pradié (LR) had pointed out the risk “ of unconstitutionality » of the index finger, a « rider Legislative which, according to him, has no place in a budgetary text, like the one chosen by the government to pass its pension reform.
More than 1,200 amendments remain to be examined by Friday evening, and 18 articles of the bill.
(With AFP)