WHAT ABOUT DIFFICULTY IN THE PENSION REFORM ?

The day after a first day of major mobilization in the face of the reform – more than a million demonstrators across France according to the authorities, 2 million according to the CGT – the executive insists on the fact that the text is still negotiable.

But there is no question of questioning the overall philosophy of the bill, as the text is about to be debated in Parliament. The Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, insisted this Friday, January 20 on the "two essential pillars of the reform": the increase in the number of years of contribution to 43 annuities to benefit from a pension at full rate and raising the legal retirement age to 64.

“They must be preserved because they guarantee this financial balance by 2030, supports the tenant of Bercy on BFMTV. There can always be improvements to this text but I set only one limit: to guarantee financial equilibrium by 2030. All openings and discussions are interesting but they must fall within this financial framework. »

Two talking points

Gabriel Attal, Minister of Public Accounts, for his part opened the door to very targeted discussions. “We can still progress and enrich our project on two subjects. One, the chopped quarries [...]. Second thing, the employment of seniors, we can probably go further, ”recalls the former government spokesperson.

Gabriel Attal explains that “leave to help a loved one or a child with a disability” was not taken into account in the “long career” system provided for by the pension reform. "During periods when the French had to stop working for reasons suffered, perhaps we can enrich things," explains the minister.

Same observation on the question of the employment of seniors: "A lot has been done to make it progress. We can probably go further", admits Gabriel Attal, who recalls that the government wishes to set up a "senior index" to encourage companies to employ more employees over 55 years of age. “These are very concrete elements that we can continue to enrich through discussion,” insists the Minister.

But the project for the future of the pension system includes measures to prevent professional wear and tear. During the reform presentation on Tuesday, January 10, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne insisted on this point.

What about hardship at work ?

Four avenues are currently being considered by the government for physical or repetitive jobs: the creation of an investment fund of one billion euros for the prevention of professional wear and tear; the implementation of reinforced medical monitoring for employees with a difficult job; the possibility of financing retraining leave; the extension of the professional prevention account (C2P) to more employees and with more rights.

This famous C2P, born of "Macron orders", had replaced in 2017 the term "difficulty" in "professional risk factors" and had removed 4 factors (heavy loads, painful postures, mechanical vibrations and chemical risks) from the previous system, the personal hardship prevention account (C3P). But in December 2022, the Court of Auditors presented this C2P as “an unambitious and uncontrolled device” in its thematic public report on public policies in occupational health in companies.

Shouldn't we then also rethink with the social partners this precise point which stumbling blocks for long careers?

Work plays a determining role in the differences in life expectancy and health status between citizens. This finding is validated by numerous studies linking exposure to hardship factors with, in particular, early exit from employment, or state of health after 50 years. Disability-free life expectancy is also correlated with occupational categories.

However, the government refused to reinstate the 4 criteria excluded in 2017, while allowing, however, in the pension reform for employees exposed to heavy loads, painful postures and vibrations to benefit from new rights, each professional branch having to list the trades concerned. .. but subject to official recognition of incapacity. And this is where the shoe pinches: it creates a risk of mismatch between professions, some branches being able to recognize a profession as painful and others not.

One of the measures which should therefore only have a limited effect in order to avoid or reduce the evils of work.

The intersyndicale has announced a new mobilization date on January 31, 2023.