The day after Gabriel Attal's general policy speech which announced the "de-emcardisation" of society, the Minister of Labor, Catherine Vautrin rejected the idea of abolishing the minimum wage.
“The minimum wage is a guarantee for our fellow citizens of a minimum wage,” underlined the Minister of Labor on BFMTV/RMC.
And added: “The desire today is to allow our fellow citizens to progress.
Who doesn't want to see their income increase when they work?
The topic is to help show that work generates income.
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Dismantle France: Catherine Vautrin does not plan to abolish the minimum wage pic.twitter.com/Ajfj2SaR6N
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) January 31, 2024
According to her, the government nevertheless wishes to “look at what are these charges which somewhere immediately remove the net effect of the salary increases” of those who are paid the minimum wage.
And, “on the other hand, for those who are just above the minimum wage, to see if the envelope announced yesterday Tuesday of 2 billion euros” can allow “a tax cut for this category” , continued the minister.
Also read: General policy speech: agriculture, school, salaries… what to remember from Gabriel Attal's announcements
The government's stated objective is to ensure “that work is indeed a tool for emancipation”, she further declared.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced yesterday a reform on low wages, to “de-emcardify France”, during his general policy declaration to the National Assembly, without providing details.
As of Tuesday evening, the leader of the CGT, Sophie Binet, castigated the Prime Minister's comments.
“First he should revise his figures since he explained that the French minimum wage was higher than the minimum wages of our neighbors.
The French minimum wage is lower than the Belgian, German or Swiss minimum wage.”
Still too many branches below the minimum wage
Gabriel Attal also promised to act so that professional branches which continue to pay below the minimum wage “raise these remunerations”, excluding “no measure” to achieve rapid results.
The Minister of Labor recalled on Wednesday that “102 professions are affected today” by minimums below the SMIC, “because as soon as there is an increase in the SMIC, it automatically exceeds them”.
To correct these branches, Catherine Vautrin wants to rely on “a European provision which has been voted on” and which must be transposed in 2026. France will transpose it from January 1, 2025, to allow controls of the branches.