Employee shareholding, a way out of the crisis so as not to resuscitate the wealth tax

"We are entering a decisive period which will ask us to reflect, as many people suggest, on a new social contract because the challenges we have in front of us are immense and cannot be dealt with satisfactorily in the current framework. Let's start by characterizing the challenges, by simplifying, they are three in number.

First, in the short term, we will have to manage an air gap in the economy because containment creates a huge shock in catering, tourism, construction and industry; even if some sectors hold up like food and communications, the economy as a whole is shaken. It is then almost certain that a rapid acceleration and therefore a temporary work overload will soon follow. So much for the short term.

Then, in the longer term, it is absolutely obvious that whole sectors of the economy will decrease concomitantly with the appearance of new sectors. So there is a problem of lifelong learning, a problem that contains a huge opportunity if we do it right.

In the long term, it is obvious that whole swathes of the economy will decrease concomitantly with the appearance of new sectors. There is therefore a problem of permanent formation

I t must finally find compensation to remunerate the efforts that this new strategy will require all.

The first idea would be to take as a starting point the CDI with variable time imagined by the duet Hartz / Schroeder in Germany at the beginning of the year 2000. It would be for the employee and his employer to agree on a flexibility of the working time weekly. This could vary from a minimum of 4 × 7 hours, or 28 hours per week, to a maximum of 5 × 9, or 45 hours. This new type of CDI has proven itself for 15 years by considerably strengthening the German economy.

The second idea would be to look at Singapore. In his last speech, his Prime Minister explained to his fellow citizens that whole swathes of the economy were going to be replaced by new trades. It is therefore a question of training a significant part of those who are at work today: this can be done by granting a significant training credit, credit used each year in agreement with the entrepreneur by ensuring compatibility between working time. and time spent on training. The system is in fact in place in France today, it just needs to be amplified.

The third idea, the French touch, is obviously to find intelligent compensation for this substantial modification of the employment contract; it is all found, it is employee shareholding, an area in which France leads the world. Employees who accept this change in employment contract will be granted (under conditions to be negotiated) a share of the company's capital.

"It is 100 times smarter to go directly from capital to staff by creating motivation in the company rather than using the tax box which discourages and creates exile"

This would mark a positive development of capitalism which allows a reinforced participation of all in the prosperity of the company. Not to mention that there is one of the solutions to the problem of retirement in the case of compensation in the form of shares, since the employee builds up over the years a capital which allows to increase it in considerable proportions , regardless of temporary financial crises, as demonstrated by companies that have practiced employee share ownership for a long time.

And the officials, they say? Very simple, they too can contribute to a diversified fund made up of shares in French or European companies with strong employee shareholding; they will thus be motivated to the proper functioning of our businesses.

The advantage of this last formula would be to respond to all the people who dream of resuscitating the ISF, the same ISF which has contributed to exhausting France, depriving it of capital and talent; we can never stress enough that the entrepreneur is a precious asset for a country and that it is 100 times smarter to pass directly from capital to staff by creating motivation in the company rather than using the tax box which discourages and creates exile.

With the insane strikes of the CGT using sectors holding a monopoly in essential services to rot the life of their fellow citizens and seek to influence the parliament, we are well aware that the paritarism is to be overhauled: this is a good opportunity to 'work there'.