At the close of the social conference held at Matignon on Monday, November 9, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a 1.6% increase in the statutory minimum wage effective December 1. The Smic thus crosses the 1,500-euro mark and stands at 1,502 euros.
Matignon's room for maneuver is limited. The prime minister can raise the Smic, which falls within his authority, but he has no control over other wages and is leaving that to the social partners. The government hopes for a knock-on effect on negotiations, both in industry sectors and in companies.
This increase, presented as a boost going beyond inflation, is intended to ease persistent social anger. The head of government is nonetheless acting within a narrow budgetary and political framework, six months before the presidential election, without a majority and with deteriorated public finances.
In several professional sectors, collectively bargained minimums remain below the Smic. Unions are calling for companies whose theoretical minimums are below the minimum wage to no longer receive public aid.
The scale of the move remains short of union demands. The CFDT is calling for a net increase of 100 euros and the CGT for about 150 euros. The announcements therefore do not, as things stand, meet all of the demands.