Employees who leave their jobs may be deprived of unemployment benefits. The National Assembly voted in this direction, on Wednesday, October 5, at the first reading of the amendments adopted by deputies for the majority and the right, within the framework of the consideration of the bill on the reform of the unemployment insurance.

Despite criticism from the left, the amendments clarifying that “an employee who has voluntarily given up his position and does not return to work after receiving a letter of intent for this purpose (…) presumed to have resigned”was largely adopted by 219 votes to 68.

Measure defended by the majority and Republicans

At the moment, employees who no longer come to work without reason and who end up being dismissed can benefit from the social security fund. A dismissal for desertion is in fact a dismissal for serious misconduct: it therefore does not deprive the dismissed person of his right to benefit from this protection, even if the desertion is “voluntary”.

On Wednesday, the government, through the voice of minister delegate Carole Grandjean, said it is in favor of a reform in this area, describing the abolition of positions as “rising phenomenon”. Majority MP Dominique Da Silva argued that job cuts were disrupting businesses and it was a matter of providing a measure “clear and fair” for each.

The right develops a similar argument. “We do not deprive the employees of any rights. They always have the opportunity to complain. before the industrial court, Jean-Louis Thiériot, deputy of Les Républicains (LR), argued to support his party’s position. He used the opportunity to criticize some left-wing elected officials “the choice of the right to laziness”referring to the recent claim of ecologist-deputy Sandrine Rousseau on Franceinfo, which was rejected by the presidential camp and the right, and which relaunched the debate on the left.

The left points to the deterioration of working conditions

During heated debates in the Hemicycle, the left took issue with this phenomenon and cited cases “marginal” and pleads not to “weakens the protection of employees”, on the same lines as some of the trade unions.

“What is the reason for these job cuts?”questioned the Communist Pierre Dharréville and suggested a link with deteriorating working conditions for an increasing number of employees.

The Socialists assured that the adopted measure was unconstitutional and not compatible with the standards of the International Labor Organization.

During the discussions, an amendment adopted by Marine Le Pen (Rassemblement national), on the other hand, was rejected: it stipulated that the refusal to accept a permanent contract (CDI) at the end of a fixed-term contract (CDD). “There are some people who cheat” by changing the CDD and daily allowance, and by rejecting the CDI, the pretext of the chairman of the extreme right group.

But the topic is not closed. The presidential camp was also interested in the topic: amendments to the same measure, valid after three CDI rejections, had even been tabled by Horizons and Modem deputies. But they were withdrawn by their authors at the request of the government, which wants to rework the provision. In response, M replied.^me Le Pen condemned “the virgin modesty of government”.