Social Security budget: the Senate proposes increasing the annual working time by 12 hours

An amendment by centrist senator Olivier Henno (UDI), voted by the majority alliance between the right and the center in the upper house, was adopted by 199 votes against 135 during the examination of the social security budget.

It is unlikely that it will be able to prosper further in the debates on this text, because the vast majority of parliamentarians already consider any agreement between the National Assembly and the Senate on the Social Security budget for 2026 impossible.

But it reignites a very sensitive debate on working hours, at a time of social security deficit.

"We will not be able to get out of this if we do not create more wealth. To produce more wealth, we need to invest more, but above all increase working hours," explained Olivier Henno.

"Twelve hours of paid work per year is one hour per month, 15 minutes per week," he added, estimating an annual return of more than 10 billion euros.

In detail, without going back on the 35 legal weekly hours, the amendment would increase the annual duration from 1.607 hours to 1.619 hours worked, leaving it to the social partners to organize themselves to put it in place.

The left wing reacted strongly to this proposal, deeming it "arbitrary and unfair".

"How can you talk about imperceptible efforts when it comes to adding working hours to fellow citizens who do arduous jobs?", despaired Socialist Simon Uzenat, addressing the right wing, denouncing "an absolute provocation".

"This is serious," reacted Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou. While he expressed his "solidarity" with the objectives of the measure, he deemed it inappropriate to adopt it within the framework of this budget, postponing this "avenue of debate" to a later date, notably "within the framework of the Labour and Pensions social conference" which will open on December 5.

This is not the first time the Senate has put forward proposals of this kind: last year it voted to add an extra day of solidarity (worked without pay) to fund long-term care. Former Prime Minister François Bayrou also explored this issue with his highly criticized proposal to eliminate two public holidays. Neither proposal gained traction.