Collective bargaining restarted in 2021, but it remains very marked by the health crisis. Agreements on telework in particular have increased sharply. In companies, compensation (salary and profit-sharing) remains the dominant theme. The branches are not left out even if with the latest increases, many still have levels below the minimum wage.
The health crisis is not quite behind us yet. But in 2021, collective bargaining, hampered by the 2020 confinements, had already started to restart. Even if the company or branch agreements have not yet returned to their 2019 level, the dynamics of the negotiation have been relaunched.
The health crisis is not quite behind us yet. But in 2021, collective bargaining, hampered by the 2020 confinements, had already started to restart. Even if the company or branch agreements have not yet returned to their 2019 level, the dynamics of the negotiation have been relaunched.
Branch agreements, i.e. those signed by companies in the same sector of activity, are increasing over one year (1,063 concluded in 2021 against 1,013 in 2020), according to the report 2021 of collective bargaining, presented this Tuesday, September 27, 2022 to trade unions and professional organizations by the Ministry of Labour. These provisional data are generally slightly lower than the final figures.
Among these agreements, there are 6 new national collective agreements resulting from mergers. This is the case, for example, of the collective agreement for individual employers and home employment. Coming into force on January 1, 2022, it now concerns life assistants and babysitters employed by individuals as well as childminders. At company level, 76,820 collective agreements were concluded and filed (compared to 76,650 in 2020).
The health crisis is not quite behind us yet. But in 2021, collective bargaining, hampered by the 2020 confinements, had already started to restart. Even if the company or branch agreements have not yet returned to their 2019 level, the dynamics of the negotiation have been relaunched.
Branch agreements, i.e. those signed by companies in the same sector of activity, are increasing over one year (1,063 concluded in 2021 against 1,013 in 2020), according to the report 2021 of collective bargaining, presented this Tuesday, September 27, 2022 to trade unions and professional organizations by the Ministry of Labour. These provisional data are generally slightly lower than the final figures.
Among these agreements, there are 6 new national collective agreements resulting from mergers. This is the case, for example, of the collective agreement for individual employers and home employment. Coming into force on January 1, 2022, it now concerns life assistants and babysitters employed by individuals as well as childminders. At company level, 76,820 collective agreements were concluded and filed (compared to 76,650 in 2020).
Strong increase in teleworking agreements
Unions and employers have therefore come back around the table to negotiate. But on what subjects?
“What we can note, and the health context is undoubtedly one of the explanations, is the significant increase in agreements that deal with issues of working conditions and work organizationcomments Pierre Ramain, Director General of Labor (which reports to the Ministry of Labour). There has been an increase from 3,210 agreements in 2020 to more than 6,000. With, among these agreements, particular attention to teleworking”.
4,070 agreements were signed on this topic, an increase of 47%. “As a reference, 4,070 is ten times more than what we had in 2017: there were only 390”, continues Pierre Ramain. In addition, 1,150 agreements dealt with the right to disconnect and digital tools.
It must be said that teleworking has been strongly encouraged by the government in the face of the covid-19 crisis. According to a Dares study, in January 2021, 27% of employees practiced it compared to 4% in 2019. But its long-term registration requires supervision.
In general, the negotiations were therefore still very marked by the management of the health crisis. 13 branch agreements have also been specifically concluded on the subject. And 29 concerned the long-term partial activity (APLD) system, born in the summer of 2020.