The decree of the Ministry of Labor postponing because of the coronavirus to September 1 the controversial reform of unemployment compensation, which was to come into force on April 1, appeared Sunday in the Official Journal (OJ). This reform primarily concerns precarious workers. It hardens the calculation of the allowance for workers who alternate short contracts and periods of unemployment, many in the sectors most affected by the health crisis, such as tourism, catering or events.
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"In the context of the spread of Covid-19 and taking into account its consequences on the job market, the purpose of the decree is to postpone to September 1, 2020 the date of entry into force of the methods for calculating the reference daily salary serving basic to the calculation of the unemployment insurance allowance ”, indicates the ministry in its decree. This reform of unemployment compensation postponed to September is the second part of the overall reform of unemployment insurance.
In force since November, the first part has notably tightened the conditions for opening rights to unemployment benefit (having worked six months out of the last 24 against four out of 28 previously) and recharging these rights (gone from one month to six months of work). This component also introduced the degression after six months for job seekers who had high wages. Asked Sunday at the "Grand Jury RTL / Le Figaro / LCI" on the possibility of a repeal of this first part of the reform, the Minister of Labor Muriel Pénicaud replied in the negative.
"A lot was in demand," she said, citing "the rights to resign to start a business, the fact that there is a safety net for the self-employed." With this first part, "a mechanism that has already been in place for six months, the subject arises differently" compared to "the piece of reform that arrived on April 1," she said.