Employment: Medef Resists Adjusting Retirement Age Yet Advocates for Early Professional Engagement and Career Advancement for Women
Off the Record: Medef Stands Firm on Retirement Age, Advocates for Worker and Women's Rights
In the final stretch of the pension reform discussions, Medef—France's main business representative—has made it clear that they won't budge on increasing the legal retirement age, currently at 64 years old. As the "conclave" reaches its climax, Medef has relayed their stance in a document shared with the Agence France-Presse (AFP) on June 10th.
With only three more sessions between business and unions scheduled for this week and June 17th, the focus remains on revisiting the 2023 reform, which pushed back the retirement age from 62 to 64. In the spirit of caring for France, Medef urges maintaining the current retirement age of 64.
Looking towards the future, Medef suggests aligning retirement age with demographic and labor market trends, much like their European counterparts. However, specifics about the implementation are scarce.
On the matter of work-related wear and tear, Medef acknowledges the concerns raised by trade unions and is open to making strides. They understand that certain professions are more demanding, which can have a detrimental effect on an employee's health in the long run.
Motherhood Matters
Medef also emphasizes the importance of ensuring that motherhood doesn't hinder career growth. To this end, they propose revising the professional prevention account by including handling heavy loads, strenuous postures, and mechanical vibrations. They also suggest modifying the disability/invalidity device, which currently affects almost one in seven people who retire, to lower the departure age from 62 to 61 years old.
For women, Medef identifies improving career progression as a top priority. They propose a change in the calculation of the annual salary average for pension levels so it would be based on 23 or 24 years instead of the current 25 best years, benefiting women with children. To cover the additional cost, Medef suggests abolishing the parental bonus for individuals aged 63 and over, introduced in the Borne reform.
So far, the pension discussions, which kicked off on February 27th, have seen their fair share of walkouts, with FO, the CGT, and U2P on the union side, and the U2P on the business side for artisans, stepping away from the dialogue. At present, only five parties remain: Medef, CPME (for small and medium-sized enterprises), and CFDT, CFTC, and CFE-CGC on the employee side.
Stay Informed- Read more: Patrick Martin, president of Medef: "I am skeptical about the outcomes of the pension reform talks"- Read more: The Council of Orientation of Retirement suggests a delay in the departure age with AFP
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In the ongoing pension reform discussions, Medef has shown resolve in maintaining the retirement age at 64, emphasizing its importance for the financial stability of the business sector. On the matter of women's careers, Medef proposes modifying the pension system to accommodate family life and career growth, advocating for changes in the calculation of the annual salary average and the disability/invalidity device. This action could potentially finance the changes by abolishing the parental bonus for those aged 63 and over.
