Under pressure of patronat, Valérie Pécresse reviews his promise to increase lowest wages of 10%

The candidate LR has revised his measure-flagship measure, the cost of which weighed in part on companies.

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“Increase in the five years net wages below 2.2 smic of 10%.” When it has announced its shock measure, at the end of the summer, the party candidate the Republicans (LR) , Valérie Pécresse, probably hoped to mark the spirits with a strong and consensual gesture in favor of the purchasing power in a country with the health crisis and becoming more attentive to the remuneration of the trades on the front line. “The first dignity is that one of being able to live from his work, she justified. For that, it takes that work pays.” Five months later, it’s forced to see it back on the ground, under pressure of a patronat not at all willing to be imposed by salary increases.

The initial measure concerned 12 million Frenchman and consisted of charging by the State and businesses approximately 20 billion euros of load relief for wages below 2.2 SMIC. Either, according to the program of M me pecresse, “1,510 euros net per year in addition for an employee at the SMIC”. The state had to finance two-thirds of this decline, and the remaining third companies, or about 7 billion euros. But very quickly, the latter have mobilized, passing a warning via the different employers’ lobbies: it is not the state to impose on companies to increase wages.

“It would have no sense to charge the companies of the salary increases while lowering the production taxes, like Valérie Pécresse proposes it,” says a patronal source, almost surprise to have obtained gain. cause so quickly. The tensions currently undergoing recruitment companies, with labor shortages in many industries, will inevitably lead to salary increases in the annual negotiations involved in recent weeks, Still.

“The goal is the same”

The team of the candidate LR has therefore redesigned his promise-flagship, which will be less ambitious, and, above all, fully financed by public finances, as indicated by the echos . In the summer of 2022, the state would finance a decline in old-age contribution that would increase all wages, and more only those below 2.2 SMIC. For these, however, it would correspond to a 3% increase. The measure would therefore affect a wider audience, about 18 million people, but which would benefit from a more modest wage gain than 10%. Total cost for public finances: about 10 billion euros (7 billion taking into account the extra tax generated by salary increases).

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/Media reports.