Social and Solidarity Economy Voices Growing Concern over PLF 2026 While Signing Caregivers' Support Agreement

The Social and Solidarity Economy (ESS) sector in France is sounding alarms over the 2026 Finance Bill (PLF 2026), warning of a "quiet social plan" amid ongoing parliamentary debates. Representing a vital economic segment, the ESS employs around 2.6 million people, accounting for about 14% of private employment nationwide. In the Occitanie region alone, over 21,500 employer establishments contribute to the sector, supporting approximately 246,000 workers. Financially, the ESS dispenses more than 6.1 billion euros in gross salaries annually.

These figures underscore the sector's economic weight and the heightened concerns among its stakeholders about potential legislative impacts that could destabilize this important area of the economy.

Amid this environment of uncertainty, December 8 brought a positive development as the Union of Employers of the Social and Solidarity Economy (Udes) signed a non-binding agreement with four employee unions (CFDT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC) to improve working conditions for caregivers and parents within the sector. This agreement targets 14 professional branches covering over 220,000 companies and nearly 2.4 million employees.

The pact aims to enhance branches’ and companies’ capacity to innovate and better support employees who care for dependent relatives, a group that includes 6 million caregivers in France, 57% of whom are women balancing employment with caregiving duties. Measures encouraged by the agreement include social dialogue initiatives, communication efforts, and organizational adjustments to better accommodate caregivers.

Additionally, the agreement proposes concrete actions to support employee parents, especially single parents, such as reducing working hours from the third month of pregnancy without pay loss and facilitating telework. Importantly, telework is promoted not as a substitute for childcare but as a way to reduce commuting time and ease after-school childcare challenges.

This dual narrative — caution regarding PLF 2026's potential repercussions coupled with proactive steps to improve workplace support — highlights the ESS sector's critical role and its commitment to social responsibility under pressure.