The government will
not
give “
no boost
” to the minimum wage beyond the automatic 0.9% increase planned for January to offset inflation, Labor Minister Élisabeth Borne said on Thursday.
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Read alsoThe minimum wage automatically revalued by 0.9% on January 1
"
We are not going to give a boost, I confirm it to you
", declared Élisabeth Borne on CNews, stressing that in one year, the minimum wage "
will have increased by 3.1% to settle at 1,603 euros gross monthly , that is to say 48 euros more by me
”. Each January 1, the minimum wage is automatically adjusted according to the inflation observed for the 20% of households with the lowest incomes between the last adjustment and the month of November, increased by half of the purchasing power gain of the hourly wage average workers and employees.
The government can choose to go beyond this automatic increase, but the panel of economists consulted before each increase spoke out last week against this possibility - as every time since its first opinion in 2008. These economists consider that a "
boost
" would be "
detrimental to the employment of the most vulnerable people
", especially since it could "no
longer be offset by a reduction in employer social contributions, which reached the maximum threshold at the minimum wage level
”.
This argument infuriates the unions.
In a joint press release, FO, CGT or Solidaires denounced last week a "
committee of experts which always finds false reasons to discourage any salary boost
", demanding "
a significant increase in the minimum wage from January 1, 2022
".
Read alsoThe CGT and FO claim a "real boost" for the minimum wage
The unions were consulted on Wednesday as part of the National Collective Bargaining Commission (CNNCEFP) but they do not seem to have been heard by the government.
