Smic has had to be re-evaluated three times since May 2021 to achieve an increase of nearly 6%. Consequence: 85% of the 171 professional branches with more than 5,000 employees now have minimum wages below the minimum wage. “We can understand that for the poultry sector, faced with an unprecedented avian flu, things are complicated at the moment”, observes Luc Mathieu, national secretary of the CFDT. until today always inferior to the Smic.”
Overall, companies made a first effort. According to the Ministry of Labor, the monthly base salary index for all employees increased by 2.3% in one year. But given the pace of inflation, we are still a long way off. With 160 billion euros in retained earnings in 2021, the CAC 40 fell back on wages at the beginning of the year with increases of between 1.5 and 3.5%. But most of these large groups confirm that they will soon return to the negotiating table. Some, such as Safran, Decathlon, Auchan, Carrefour or Danone, also anticipated price increases and provided for a review clause. “It is only scheduled for September. However, after the increase of Smic, on May 1, the first three levels of remuneration are below”, worries Philippe Allard, union representative of CGT at Carrefour. Others have already integrated the matter into their social calendar: “A new round of negotiations is planned before the summer with the idea of favoring the categories of workers and supervisors”, confirms a spokesman for Michelin. At LCL, which has not paid any overall raises this year, management has agreed to bring the 2023 negotiations forward in September. More complicated, on the other hand, within BNP, which has so far refused to open negotiations and maintains its initial December calendar, while the group plans a share buyback of 4.5 billion euros.
calls to strike
Social movements remained limited, “most employees are aware of the lack of visibility,” notes Pierre Ferracci, head of the consulting group Alpha and France.
social specialist. But union pressure is stronger in large companies”. This month, 6% in May 2023 and 4% in May 2024. Strikes are increasing: Eiffage, Capgemini, Michelin, EDF, Engie, SNCF, but also in smaller companies such as the aeronautical subcontractor Mecachrome or the mechanical specialist Comefor .
Because the subject is often more complex in VSEs and SMEs. In February, the Bpifrance/Rexecode barometer noted that one in two SMEs did not intend to raise wages in February, when inflation was already above 2.5%. Weakened for some by the strong increase in raw materials and supply difficulties, SMEs are now facing the problem of purchasing power. “It is difficult to blindly commit to increases when no one can predict the evolution of inflation, insists Eric Chevée, CPME vice president responsible for social affairs, we are more in favor of one-off solutions from the exonerated and desocialized Macron. type of bonus that does not affect cash flow and responds to the employee’s problems.” In addition to stricto sensu compensation, some SMEs have doubled their transport vouchers or reorganized working time to minimize car use. “80% of employees come by car and with a price of super or diesel at 2 euros, it is expensive to go to work”, acknowledged Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux. from Annecy Subsidized carpooling, shared electric car fleet, company e-bikes… the initiatives are multiplying A D system sometimes more profitable than a general increase.