The issue lies in the gap between the legal floor and pay that exceeds it only slightly. When the minimum wage rises without those wages following, workers say they have been forgotten, while employers anticipate a knock-on effect on their payroll.
The minimum-wage increase announced by the government does not cover all low wages. It leaves out employees just above the minimum, who do not benefit from that day's rise.
For one female employee, the solution is to raise low wages at the same time as the minimum wage, so that the increase in the minimum does not deepen the feeling of being left behind.
Small and medium-sized businesses argue that these increases also represent a cost that is difficult to pass on to customers.
In Montpellier (Hérault), a delivery company employs 80 workers, 65 of whom are paid the minimum wage, according to franceinfo. The vast majority of the workforce is therefore directly affected by the announcement.