Associations and Unions Unite Against Government Sanctions on Unemployed in France
A coalition of unions and associations challenge French government sanctions that reduce unemployment and social aid, citing worsening poverty and exclusion.
- • The 'suspension-remobilisation' decree enforces benefit suspensions from 30% to 100% after first violation.
- • Poverty in France reached 15.4% in 2023, highest in 30 years according to INSEE.
- • The decree reduces RSA (€646) that is already below poverty level, deepening hardship.
- • Legal appeals filed to Conseil d'Etat citing disproportionate and unlawful sanctions.
Key details
An alliance of eleven associations and five unions is mounting a legal challenge against the 'suspension-remobilisation' decree, which has been enforceable since June 1 under France's "full employment" law. This decree introduces severe sanctions against recipients of RSA (Active Solidarity Income) and unemployment benefits, allowing suspensions ranging from 30% to 100% after a first violation of engagement contracts, with possible expulsion after repeated breaches. According to Didier Duriez, president of Secours catholique, the sanctions exacerbate poverty and social exclusion rather than assist individuals in finding employment. In a press conference on October 22, representatives from the alliance cited INSEE data showing France's poverty rate hit 15.4% in 2023—the highest in 30 years. They stressed that the RSA payment of €646 for a single person is already less than half the poverty threshold, so any reduction effectively withdraws vital subsistence means.
Marie-Andrée Bresson from Solidarité Paysans called for collective solidarity, while Isabelle Doresse from ATD Quart Monde highlighted that over 30% of RSA recipients already face non-access to their benefits, a situation worsened by these new sanctions. CFDT's Lydie Nicol criticized the paradigm shift undermining RSA as a guaranteed social minimum, arguing that reducing such aid will not facilitate employment. The alliance has filed four appeals to the Conseil d'Etat, arguing the sanctions are disproportionate, violate legal equality, and breach due process. They also underscored the negative impact on social workers, who feel their roles are compromised by increased controls and sanction mechanisms.
Government officials have promoted these measures as helping the most vulnerable, yet the alliance maintains that the reforms deepen hardship. Calls for a moratorium on these sanctions have been ignored by the government despite the negligible fraud cases cited. The groups urge political leaders to prioritize solidarity over punitive measures that divide and penalize those in precarious situations.