About a quarter of Pôle emploi agents, according to management, were on strike on Tuesday at the call of the inter-union which is calling for a “significant” increase in wages and staff in the face of the “piling up” of action plans for job seekers. The rate of participation in the movement launched by the ten trade union organizations (CFDT, CFE-CGC, CFTC, CGT, FO, SNAP, SNU, STC, SUD and Unsa) “is 23.3%”, indicated the management of the operator in a statement. But, “for more than a third of the strikers (36.5%), it is a one-hour walkout”, she underlined, specifying that only two agencies are closed out of the 900 of the network.
In a press conference, in front of the headquarters of Pôle emploi where a hundred agents were demonstrating, the inter-union demanded “a general increase in remuneration, significant and urgent” taking into account “price increases” and “purchasing power lost”, the last increase dating back to 2017.
“1% general increase is very insufficient”
Proof of these low salaries, according to Hélène Ibanez (CFDT), “half of the agents of Pôle emploi receive the inflation bonus of 100 euros”, reserved for employees receiving less than 2,000 euros net monthly. As part of the mandatory annual negotiation (NAO), management proposed a general increase of 1%, a revaluation of the incentive scheme and restaurant securities. “As salaries automatically increase on average by 2% (seniority, promotion, etc.), this largely offsets inflation”, by 2.8% in 2021, estimates the operator’s HRD, Jean-Yves Cribier. “1% general increase is very insufficient. Management has absolutely not heard the claim, ”contests Natalia Jourdin (FO).
The unions also denounce the “fatigue” of the teams generated by two years of crisis and the “piling up” of recent government measures (remobilization of the long-term unemployed, reform of unemployment benefits since the autumn or even deployment to the 1st March of the Youth Engagement Contract).
A reinforcement of 550 additional fixed-term contracts
If the operator has received reinforcements (3,400 additional positions, including 1,400 on permanent contracts, in 2022 compared to the pre-crisis in 2019), Michel Breuvart (SNU-FSU) estimates “that there are too many fixed-term contracts that ‘you have to constantly train’. Jean-Yves Cribier, who received the unions on Tuesday noon, announced to them the reinforcement of 550 additional fixed-term contracts for middle management and compensation for job seekers.
The last national movement at Pôle emploi, which dates back to November 2018 to protest against staff reductions, had been a little stronger with 30% of strikers. A next day of negotiations is scheduled for February 9.