« Work more », a French political obsession – Liberation

Standing, the damned of the earth, standing, the convicts of the leaven. Twelve million French people (1) wanted their wand very fresh, well crissed this Thursday, May 1. Alas, the Labor Code, which sanctizes this international workers’ day as « unemployed », deprived them by preventing bakeries from making their employees work. Fortunately, by next year, parliamentary heroic attached to the « Work value » may have stolen from the help of the people subject to dry bread with law proposals, supported by the government. Please see there a progress, since we are told that it will be on the basis of volunteering, and paid double – which is not guaranteed by the proposals as they are written at the time of writing.

This passionate debate Around May 1 acts as a revealer – one more – of a heavy social atmosphere. Two years after being administered, to his defending body, the bitter potion of a pension reform supposed « save » The system by postponing the starting age to 64 years, the lambda worker cannot still spend a day without hearing this sentence, or one of his variants: « We will have to work more. » How, therefore, not feeling a little treated as a flank? From set to set, from gallery to the gallery, from meeting to meeting, a whole cohort of editorialists, experts and political leaders from the most « truth » Thus summarized by Edouard Philippe, former prime minister aspiring head of state: « We cannot lie to the French: we will have to work more if we want to preserve the social and democratic model to which we are attached. »

This social model, it turns out that it is celebrating its 80th birthday this year. We owe first to the National Council of the Resistance, then to the action in particular of the ministers Alexandre Parodi and Ambroise Croizat, the establishment of social security and basic retirement in distribution in 1945-46. Unemployment insurance will be created in 1958. This system, everyone describes it as « precious », But it would be today « Out of breath », Diagnosing Patrick Martin, the president of Medef, and Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet, the Minister of Labor. While social benefits represent almost a third of GDP (900 billion euros in 2023), more or less new threats are invoked, such as the aging of the population, the Russian threat or the trade war.

Hence the emphasis of François Bayrou, the Prime Minister, April 15declaring that « To guarantee survival » of the social model, it is necessary « Accept developments and even revolutions ». What to say? Start to hover here and there, from the best ways to save the system is, ultimatelyto unravel it. Exemplary paradox: part of employers and some political leaders, such as the Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin, assure that it should be introduced « A capitalization pillar » In pension plans … to better preserve the distribution. However, over the past three decades, social protection has already been methodically narrowed. Pensions no longer indexed to wages but on inflation since 1993; successive lengthenings of the contribution duration (2003, 2013), doubled by two postponement of the legal age of rights (2010, 2023); Ratiboised unemployment rights for six years ; compensation for decreased sick leave in the last budget … Despite everything, God knows that he remains « generous »this model, we are told. What if the « too much » is never put in front of – except by assumed liberals – he always hovers somewhere.

Thus, the government again raises the question of an uninimation of pensions (project of the Barnier government, which fell into the water due to censorship), or a abolition of the tax reduction of 10 % from which retirees benefit. Why not, too, flatte the piping through which the financing of social protection passes. Within the joint delegation (the « conclave ») Launched by François Bayrou to – initially – allow social actors to rediscover the pension reform of 2023, two meetings were devoted to the financing of social protection and capitalization. Nothing concrete has come out of it, but the government can see unions and employers. On February 10 on Sud Radio, Amélie de Montchalin, Minister of Public Accounts, summed up the issue: “In 1945, we created Social Security by saying that it is those who work who finance retirees and sick people. We see that today it creates a problem of competitiveness and purchasing power. ”

Here we are: the problem, basically, would (always) the « Labor cost ». « This is the whole subject of gross salary and net salary, and this is this question that must be opened », said Catherine Vautrin on RTL on March 25. « There is no question of « sacrifice » The social model « in parallel wanted to reassure Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet In the world,, « But to improve it, by placing the work at the center ».

François Bayrou insisted on April 15: France is a delay of 100 annual working hours per capita vis-à-vis its German neighbor. Also, some on the right dream of going back to combat against 35 hours and holidays. Others, more clever, understand that you should not shoot too much on the rope while full -time employees already perform a weekly working time largely in European standards. The challenge, they explain, is therefore to use those who are not there. The proponents of this speech have taken a considerable place in the public debate in recent months, like Denis Olivennes, boss of companies (including the holding company which has Release), who has toured the sets for his book France must work more … and the French be better paid (Albin Michel). With some success. Thus, when the Minister of Labor, Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet, explains in interviews that if we were on a soccer field, France would play eight against an eleven Germany, due to the difference in employment rates between the two countries, the analogy is directly taken from the Olivennes book.

What to do? In recent weeks, a publication of the Economic Analysis Council (CAE), attached to Matignon, has caused a stir. Study, who is interested in the « full-employment objective »underlines that « France has no problem of underemployment at the intermediate ages, between 30 and 54 years ». But that among young people (16-29 years), « The employment rates (…) remain 10 to 12 points below those of other countries. » The fault of a failing professional integration, which lets the concerned vegetate up to two years after the end of their studies. Massive subsidies paid to learning In recent years have certainly multiplied the number of contracts, but also the boost effects of companies that have resorted to this almost free workforce « Passing out on unemployment for low -skilled young people », notes the economist Michaël Zemmour. The government took note: on Wednesday, Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet presented measures to better target expenses, and to save nearly 500 million euros.

As for seniors, their employment rate progresses « naturally » with the lengthening of careers imposed by pension reforms. Only, as the Court of Auditors recalled In his April report,, « People who were in employment as the sixties have remained, but this decline in legal age can also turn into an increase in the number of people or in retirement ». The most affected being the least qualified and those with health problems. And a study by Unédic Recently showed that from 56 years, the return to sustainable employment becomes more and more complicated.

The problem, underlines Michaël Zemmour is that this focus on the employment rate « Pass through losses and profits the question of whether it is a quality job ». The CAE writes it besides: “Ultimately, working has a cost. Adding more work in the economy to increase GDP is therefore not very useful from a well-being point of view. ” There resides the dead angle of current speeches, to which the unions are trying to attract attention without success. Why do you get up in the morning, or for some in the middle of the night, to spend eight hours at your post? How to make work a flourishing engine, when the CFDT publishes a « barometer » according to which 40 % of employees do not find their account there? Shouldn’t we question French managerial models, whose abundant studies have demonstrated the nuisance because of their verticality?

The rise of certain requirements linked to remuneration and comfort of life in recent years could have been an opportunity to think about it collectively, especially in a period when unemployment fell. The choice of Emmanuel Macron and his governments, on the contrary,, with their reforms, to accentuate the pressure on the unemployed, by making more precariousness But without improving the quality of their jobs. Since then, the unemployment curve has (re) reversed, and the French Observatory for Economic Conditions (OFCE) of Sciences-Po Paris sees the rate going to 8 % by the end of the year. Therefore return to old ruminations on the social model and the « Labor cost », while in Narbonne (Aude), Marine Le Pen returned to the fundamentals of the far right Thursday accusing the« Massive immigration » of « Destabilize the labor market ». However, it is on the content of the work that one day should be « Work more ».

(1) According to the president of the National Confederation of the Bakery-Pâtisserie.