People without work could see their rights further reduced.
This is not making any noise at the moment but it could be a major change for the 3 million unemployed French people. Discreetly, a reform of the payment of compensation received when unemployed is under study. If it succeeds by the end of the year, people without work will lose money. And not just a little.
The representatives of business leaders (Medef, CPME, U2P) proposed to those of employees (CGT, CFDT, FO, CFTC, CFE-CGC) a modification of the system of payment of allowances. An approach which takes place within the framework of negotiations on future unemployment rules, those in force expiring on December 31.
Currently, an unemployed person receives compensation based on the number of days not worked. If she is completely unemployed for a month of 31 days, she will receive 31 daily allowances (received in one go). A simple system that may come to an end.
Employers’ organizations recommend paying benefits only over 30 days, regardless of whether the month has 28, 29, 30 or 31. The advantage: the unemployed know exactly how much they will receive each month. The big disadvantage: a full year of unemployment will not be fully compensated.
In fact, in the months of January, March, May, July, August, October and December, the unemployed would see one day of compensation cut off. In April, June, September and November, this would not change anything. In February, this would add one or two days of extra compensation. Over a year, this would therefore result in a loss of five to six days of benefits for beneficiaries.
On the portfolio side, this represents a loss of, more or less, €170 to €204 gross annually (calculation based on the median amount of daily unemployment benefit which is €34 gross).
For employers, this measure must “simplify and improve the predictability of compensation”, according to the working document consulted by Capital. For their part, the unions denounce “small planings” and “measures [qui] always lead to a reduction in rights.” The two parties must meet again on November 9 and 10 to finalize the final agreement on the compensation rules. Employee representatives have already announced that they are firmly opposed to this measure.