In consultation with the social partners, the French government had undertaken to draw up a ‘Social Agenda’ covering the remaining 18 months of Emmanuel Macron’s five-year presidential term. At the end of a multilateral meeting held at the residence of the Prime Minister on 17 July, the Labour Ministry finalised its programme. The ‘Social Agenda’ is set to revolve around three main areas, (i) ‘reacting quickly and vigorously to the crisis’, (ii) ‘transforming our social and environmental model’, and (iii) ‘ensuring the ongoing long-term financing of our social protection system’. The agenda programme details the areas for consultation in accordance with the commitment made by the new Prime Minister, Jean Castex, to fully involve the social partners within its timetable.
Pressing pause on controversial reforms. Pressing the pause button was a precondition for gaining the trade union organisations’ trust. The newly designated Prime Minister very quickly set about postponing implementation of the unemployment insurance reform (which had been set to tighten access conditions and lower benefit levels) until January 2021. Another subject which had triggered several social mobilisation events was the country’s the pension reform project (by way of introducing a universal points system, and for more on which c.f.
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