Paris (AFP)

At the initiative of the Socialists, deputies symbolically staged Tuesday a "small demonstration" in the Assembly hemicycle by getting up at 4:47 pm to mark the moment when women start working "free" because of wage inequalities.

At the theoretical date and time when women start working voluntarily until the end of the year - based on Eurostat data which establishes the wage gap (hourly) between women and men in 15.2% in France - deputies PS, LFI, PCF as well as the majority, accompanied by some men, stood in the Chamber.

"I ask you to sit down or go out," then launched President Richard Ferrand (LREM), before some elected, mainly from the PS, do not leave the hemicycle.

"From 4:47 pm, French women work for free because of the pay gap that exists between women and men, so with many of my colleagues from all groups we wanted to symbolize this moment" to say that "it is necessary that it changes, "explained to the press the leader of the PS deputies Valérie Rabault.

"All governments are committed to making progress", but we must be "vigilant at every moment and this is the meaning of small organized event," she added. It is "symbolic, but we must not let go".

Bastien Lachaud (LFI) then spoke during questions to the government to denounce the wage inequality as being at the "origin of all the inequalities", pleading for binding measures.

Labor Minister Muriel Pénicaud said she shared the "diagnosis of the situation of women since 4:47 pm", but recalled that it is "the great cause of the quinquennium" to "fight this state of affairs".

She pointed out that the future professional law, passed in September 2018, "completely changed the landscape", notably by creating "an obligation of results for companies" and an "index of professional equality", being convinced that "we can succeed in this battle in the country".

The rebellious MP then took the floor to be surprised that at the same time the Secretary of State for Gender Equality Marlene Schiappa mentions on Twitter "a law for the economic emancipation of women in 2020", noting that 'a woman' earns 9% to 27% less than a man ".

"What is certain here is that no sex has a monopoly on the noisy verb ..." concluded Mr. Ferrand.

© 2019 AFP