There are no more safeguards against Macron’s work orders
It is difficult to see social democracy in business five years after the 2017 Labor Orders if the only monitoring and evaluation body is removed…
The five “Macron orders” published in September 2017 1at the beginning of Macron’s first five-year term, the merger of the staff representative bodies: CHSCT, work council and staff representative, into a single body, the social and economic committee (CSE) was imposed.
From the beginning, the CGT denounced the harmful effects of these texts that opened the way to the individualization of negotiations in the company, distanced elected representatives from employees, reduced the hours of delegation, and weakened the role of unions.
To measure the effects of this profound reform of the labor law written by Medef, it was decided to create an Evaluation Committee. Placed under the aegis of France Strategy, an economic forecasting organization attached to Matignon, he lived!
A year after delivering a less-than-stellar assessment of the “Macron orders” judging that social dialogue in companies is no more effective, even discouraged, since their establishment in September 2017, this review committee has disappeared. Olivier Dussopt, the current Minister of Labour, decided to remove it. A way to prevent the slightest controversy.
Health and safety at work, poor relatives of social democracy
Unlike the CHSCT (health, safety and working conditions committee) which used to be compulsory for companies with more than 50 employees, the CSSCT (health, safety and working conditions commission) that replaced it, is only compulsory for companies with more than 300 employees.
As a result, 75% of employees were covered by a CHSCT in 2017 compared to 46% today by a CSSCT. Occupational health and safety issues are brought back at the end of the CSE meeting. The Covid crisis confirmed the negative impact of Macron’s orders.
The CGT calls on the government to repeal the Labor ordinances and demands the establishment of a CSSCT commission in all companies with more than 50 employees.
Decline of social democracy
“The catastrophic decline of social democracy for employees will not last much longer!, denounced Angeline Barth, CGT confederal secretary, in charge of collective bargaining and social democracy. We must return to Macron’s ordinances, Labor law and the inversion of the hierarchy of norms,” he insists.
The founding text and protector of employees is the labor code, the CGT even proposes a “21st century labor code”.
Pending the repeal of Macron’s orders, emergency measures must be put in place:
- grant successors the same rights as holders and allow them to participate in CSE meetings,
- make it compulsory to set up local representatives in each establishment with credit hours equivalent to CSE members,
- a health, safety and working conditions commission from 50 employees, with extended prerogatives, and more delegation hours,
- CSEs per separate establishment from 50 employees with an increase in the number of elected officials and delegation hours,
- the end of the possibility of destructive agreements and referendums by employers,
- the abolition of collective performance agreements and collective contractual terminations of unlimited duration, without economic reason, without compensation, even less than that stipulated in a PSE.
1 The 5 “Macron orders”
Ordinance relating to the strengthening of collective bargaining.
Ordinances related to the new organization of social and economic dialogue in the company and promoting the implementation and improvement of union responsibilities.
Ordinance on the predictability and security of labor relations.
Ordinance on various measures related to the framework of collective bargaining.
Ordinance relating to the prevention and consideration of the effects of exposure to certain occupational risk factors and the account of professional prevention.
