Lhe main concrete measure of the “Saint-Denis meetings” (Seine-Saint-Denis) of August 30 between the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and the political parties is the decision to convene a social conference in October on minimum wages professional branches.
In fact, 147 professional branches out of 171 have minimums lower than the minimum wage. Raising the branch minimums in order to gradually bring them to the level of the minimum wage would be a good way to upgrade low salaries. Indeed, each time the minimum wage increases, it catches up with employees who were paid just above when the scales of the professional branches are not increased and especially when the minimum for the branch is lower than the minimum wage. A revaluation of the branch minimums would revalorize the branch grid and therefore increase low salaries. Such a measure would be beneficial.
At the end of the Covid-19 crisis, there was a near consensus to increase the salaries of first and second line workers. But, in reality, little has been done. And inflation has caused low wages to lose purchasing power, which increase less quickly than prices, particularly food prices.
As the State does not set salaries, recourse to social partners is the only way to achieve this increase. This decision to convene a major social conference is also to be welcomed, because it marks the return of social democracy.
Against trade union organizations
For years, our country has suffered from a democratic deficit. Remaking our country a living democracy requires more participatory democracy and we must recognize that with the great debate, the citizens’ conventions on the climate and the end of life as well as the reform of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council, Emmanuel Macron has done a lot in this area.
On the other hand, social democracy has been sluggish for years. She had moved forward with the Larcher law of January 31, 2007, which provides that “any reform project envisaged by the government which concerns individual and collective labor relations, employment and professional training and which falls within the scope of national and interprofessional negotiation [fasse] the subject of prior consultation with the representative trade union organizations of employees and employers at the national and inter-professional level with a view to the possible opening of such negotiations..
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