after tensions with the government, Medef ready to open discussions on small pensions

2023-10-27 14:31:00

After several weeks of tension, is there a sign of relaxation between Medef and the government? Maybe. This Friday, Medef said it was ready to open discussions on small pensions within the framework of the Agirc-Arrco private supplementary scheme.

« We have heard the government. We are ready to anticipate the discussions » planned by the social partners in the agreement reached in mid-October on Agirc-Arrco, declared the employers’ organization. “They will, of course, have to adhere to the requirement of guaranteeing the balance of the system and therefore the rights of Agirc-Arrco retirees, over time”she added.

The threat of a puncture which still looms

In recent weeks, the government has raised the threat of a drain on the supplementary pension scheme to finance the overall pension scheme. He maintains that part of the foreseeable surpluses of Agirc-Arrco belongs to him, since they were generated by the pension reform that he implemented. This request sparked an outcry from employers’ unions (except CPME and U2P) and employees, some of whom described the planned measure as « hold-up ».

Medef highlights several points of the 2024 budget in contradiction with a policy favorable to businesses

Before the National Assembly this Tuesday, the Minister of Public Accounts, Thomas Cazenave, indicated that the government was not implementing, “at this stage”, his puncture project. But the minister asked that the social partners propose “concrete and rapid progress” on the issue of small pensions.

Dissonances

Another important employers’ union, the CPME, did not sign the mid-October agreement alongside Medef and the social partners. “ Let’s be honest in recognizing that the additional revenue expected is partly the result of the pension reform carried out by the government », justified this Tuesday to AFP François Asselin, president of the CPME, which represents a large part of French small and medium-sized businesses.

An opinion also shared by the Minister of Labor, support for this levy measure. Olivier Dussopt believes that this provides “new expenses”. And this, by a 4.9% increase in pensions, in line with inflation, and by the elimination of a 10% discount encouraging employees to postpone their retirement by one year. According to the minister’s summary, this agreement provokes ” an imbalance in public accounts of one billion euros ».

Pensions: supplementary pensions for former private sector employees (Agirc-Arrco) increased by 4.9%

Faced with the revolt of Medef and employee unions, Budget Minister Thomas Cazenave tried this Tuesday to defend the government’s position: “ The objective of protecting the savings made has been presented in a transparent manner since the start of the consultation on pension reform, including in a logic of inter-regime solidarity. ».

Article 9 of the Agirc-Arrco joint agreement in question

According to the government, this would involve very quickly implementing article 9 of the Agirc-Arrco joint agreement of mid-October, which opens the door to “solidarity schemes for beneficiaries of the scheme”. Article 9 provides for the establishment of a joint working group on this subject “by the end of the first half of 2024”.

The Agirc-Arrco joint agreement of mid-October was signed by Medef and the five representative trade union organizations, including the CGT. The CPME and the U2P (crafts and liberal professions), two other employers’ organizations, however, have not signed it.

Small pensions well revalued, according to the National Old Age Insurance Fund

According to the National Old Age Insurance Fund (Cnav), the latest pension reform has made it possible to increase, by up to “30 euros on average”, small pensions for people who have retired since September. A figure confirmed by the director of Cnav, Renaud Villard, during a hearing this Wednesday, October 25 in the Senate. This figure is “in line with our forecasts”he insisted.

For people already retired, the reform has revalued “50 euros on average” the minimum contribution for around 500,000 people, he added. Among them, 20,000 people received the maximum amount of 100 euros. The average of 50 euros “is a little lower” to the Cnav forecast, which was 60 euros, said Renaud Villard.

(With AFP)