The grids therefore remain blocked at a much lower level for the moment.
Wage increases in the personal services sector, which employs around 200,000 people, mostly on low incomes, are blocked despite soaring inflation. The cause ? Difficulty in agreeing on proposals that differ by only a few euro cents.
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Two packages of endorsements were presented in quick succession to the unions, in particular to increase salaries and improve the current mileage allowance by 22 euro cents. The first package, on the initiative of Fedesap, which claims 37.38% of employer representation in the branch (with 130,000 employees), proposes to increase this mileage allowance to 35 euro cents and to revalue the four levels of wages. FO (14.33% union representation) and the CFTC (26.75%) approved this new mileage allowance, while the CFDT (39.66%) joined these two unions on the new salary scale.
In the meantime, the Fesp (44.20%) and the Synerpa Domicile (10.47%) have also made a proposal, subject to signature until July 4 and slightly “lowest price“, as recognized by Mehdi Tibourtine (Fesp): 33 cents of mileage allowance and a salary grid respectively lower by 0, 2, 3 and 4 cents per hour to the revaluation proposed by Fedesap. “Fedesap’s proposal cannot be supported by our members“, Pleaded the representative of the Fesp. “We tend to think about this delta of a few cents, but over the year, this represents an additional cost of tens of thousands of euros per company“, he explained.
What triggered the anger of the unions was the announcement by the Fesp-Synerpa Domicile duo, which represents more than 50% of the branch, that it would oppose the opposing agreement if it was extended. by the administration, thus effectively blocking the improvement of remuneration. “If Fedesap has put the two amendments on the table, it is obvious that from an economic point of view, these increases are realistic“, underlines FO in a press release, ensuring that the posture of the Fesp and the Synerpa Domicile him”ruffle the hair“. “Why are some companies able to protect the purchasing power of their employees and others not?“, adds FO.
Reluctance to improve salary conditions
The growing sector of personal services (early childhood, disability, seniors, cleaning and various aids) weighs around fifteen billion euros in annual turnover. According to sources familiar with the negotiations, the fact that the Fesp is made up of numerous representative structures, that is to say without employees, and that the Synerpa Domicile largely represents highly financialized Ehpad groups such as Orpea would explain the reluctance to improve salary conditions.
“The trade unions are a little tense, because they have to manage several proposals“, estimates Mehdi Tibourtine, who recognizes that 22 centimes of mileage allowance “it’s way too low“. The representative of the Fesp claims to have raised in March to 33 cents an initial proposal of 30 cents. “Home care structures cannot increase their prices during the year“, he defends himself, recalling the impossibility for companies in the sector to postpone the immediate effects of inflation. “There is also the desire to create a seniority level from 10 years and to double the bonus per employee from five years of seniority.“, he boasts in his proposal. And, regarding salaries,if the Smic increases, we will immediately update the levelsSuperiors, he promises.
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On Monday, the four representative trade union organizations (CFDT, CFTC, CGT and FO) also requested the State. After having slammed the door of the discussions, they denounced in a press release the negotiations “incredible” and “the blackmailexercised by the Fesp and the Synerpa Domicile, they called on the administration to take the talks in hand. “Mrs. (Elisabeth) Borne (the Prime Minister) explains everywhere that she is going to put pressure on the branches for purchasing power. However, in ours, all levels will remain under the Smic because of this blockage“Summarizes Aline Mougenot for the CFTC.
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