The government hopes that the social partners will be able to reach an agreement on the subject of the employment of seniors “by the end of the year”, indicated Tuesday the Minister of Labor Olivier Dussopt, ensuring that he wanted to give them “a great latitude”.
Beyond the issue of pensions, which we can consider that the reform must be implemented but which is now behind us in terms of voting and examination, there is the need to make progress on the work of the seniors, said the minister during a press conference.
The Constitutional Council had censured the provisions of the reform on this aspect, the CDI seniors and the index seniors.
The Minister recalled that since then, the executive has proposed to the social partners that this issue be a priority and be the subject of the opening of negotiations with a view to a national inter-professional agreement (ANI).
He highlighted the great latitude given to the social partners, indicating that the orientation document could be extremely open and not at all corseting.
Our objective is to give a lot of leeway so that, we hope – but it is complicated to set a limit in a very early way -, by the end of the year, there can be an agreement has been -he insists.
Mr. Dussopt recalled that a bill is planned for the beginning of 2024 with the main purpose of being a tool for transposing the ANI, including that on seniors if it is successful.
In addition to the index, which he defended as a useful measure, the Minister cited among the possible subjects for discussion, the issues of working conditions, career development, prevention of wear and tear, access to training for employees over 50 or in professional transition.
We would like all fields to be tackled by the social partners. Are they ready for it? It’s difficult to speak for them, but everyone agreed that the issue of employment for seniors was crucial and that there was a possible field of discussion, he said.
Asked about the employers’ request to exempt seniors from unemployment insurance contributions, the minister said he was not convinced that this was the best tool, pointing to a risk of windfall effect.