The Senate again approves the agreement between social partners on negotiated terminations

On Monday, May 18, the Senate approved, for the second time, the transposition into law of an agreement concluded between social partners to reduce the duration of unemployment insurance compensation in the event of a negotiated termination, a text rejected in the National Assembly due to a lack of mobilization of government troops.

Denounced by the left, the agreement reached in February between three employers' organizations (Medef, CPME, U2P) and three trade unions (CFDT, CFTC, and FO) notably provides for reducing the maximum compensation period for claimants under 55 years of age from 18 to 15 months following an amicable termination of their employment contract. This period would be set at 20,5 months for those over 55.

This agreement, which the CGT and CFE-CGC unions did not sign, requires legislative support. But the government suffered a minor setback in Parliament on this point: this text, theoretically supported by a majority in both houses, was rejected in its first reading by members of parliament in mid-April.

The cause was a failing mobilization of government troops, who were outnumbered that evening by those of the left, with La France insoumise at the forefront.

This setback is a glaring flaw, forcing the government to request a second reading in Parliament to bring this reform to fruition.

Dominated by a right-centrist alliance, the Senate therefore, unsurprisingly, repeated its favorable vote (243 votes against 34), not without annoyance at this slight parliamentary hiccup, reproaching the government for not having sufficiently mobilized its troops in the National Assembly.

Members of Parliament will have their turn to speak for the second time on Tuesday, May 26. Right after the traditional Question Time session, where parliamentary attendance is high, the presence of supporters of the bill should be sufficient this time to allow its adoption.

Jean-Pierre Farandou urged members of parliament on Monday "to respect the balance reached by the social partners" after the Senate vote. "This legislation will generate nearly one billion euros in savings per year and facilitate approximately 15.000 returns to employment annually," he calculated.

The left in the Senate was divided between votes against (Greens, Communists) and abstentions (Socialists), regretting an attack particularly targeting the unemployed. The reform "penalizes employees without imposing any new constraints on employers," lamented Green senator Raymonde Poncet Monge.