The Covid-19 crisis has not been easy for anyone. And even less for many of them. They are artisans, traders, liberal professions… In short, the self-employed. And it is for them that the president presented a plan on Thursday, from the Maison de la Mutualité. Among the measures announced, the protection of personal assets, “elusive” in the event of default. Or the fact that all self-employed workers who cease their activity will be able to collect unemployment insurance once every five years.
Ads on which returns for 20 minutes Jean-Christophe Repon, one of the vice-presidents of the Union of local businesses (U2P).
Are Emmanuel Macron’s announcements satisfactory?
These are claims that we have been making for a very long time. We will be very attentive while reading the text of the law which will be negotiated and discussed in Parliament. But in the areas expressed, in particular the protection of personal assets, we feel secure in our family life.
Since the Madelin law of 1994, has the situation of the independents remained unchanged, as the president asserts?
We hadn’t touched anything. Hence the importance of the texts to come, which we will take the time to read. Especially when the devices set out are in line with our demands.
What impact can improving social protection have?
The brakes that will be removed on access to unemployment for the self-employed can make it possible, in the context of a resizing or a professional reorientation, to benefit from social security coverage. It means not to end up on the street.
And concerning the simplification of the procedures for training?
This focus on training implies that we have additional allowances. Because training takes on new dimensions, especially in the digital part. It forces us to work a little differently, but with the same values of proximity.
Discussions were held on Thursday around the question: “What will our society look like when we have conquered the epidemic?” “. What to remember?
The structure of our small, local businesses was taken into account during the crisis by the Minister of the Economy. We felt that we were playing a role of the first order for the Republic, even though we often had the feeling of not being listened to, especially by those in power.
We have played an essential role and we must not go back to the past when the government recognized the importance of independents but postponed action. During the health crisis, we did not destroy jobs, we hired.
Does the younger generation have their place in local businesses?
Our society calls itself digital and uberized, it is an evolution that we cannot counter and that we do not question. But the local trader, the local craftsman, has an essential role. If the government really becomes aware of it – the announced plan gives us that sign – we will have won for the populations we represent. Including young people. We can receive a lot of them in our structures, and we really have a future to give them. This is why we have to be more and more attractive, more and more “sexy”.