Paris (AFP)
The use of partial unemployment has increased again in the past 24 hours and now affects four million workers in 400,000 companies, announced Thursday the Minister of Labor, Muriel Pénicaud.
"The figures this morning, which are still growing very strongly, is 400,000 companies and four million employees," said Ms. Pénicaud on France Info.
"This is an extremely strong rise. It means that there is one employee in five in the private sector, companies or associations, who is partially unemployed," she continued.
Tuesday evening, the recourse to the partial activity, on which the government puts to avoid dismissals, had been requested by 337,000 companies for 3.6 million employees.
Asked about the cost of this measure for public finances, Ms. Pénicaud did not give a figure but assured that the State would pay "whatever the cost".
Questioned Wednesday by AFP, his entourage had mentioned a potential expenditure of 11 billion euros over three months. These expenses will be assumed two-thirds by the State, and one reason one-third by Unedic.
On France info, Muriel Pénicaud also criticized the initiatives of certain employers, who are trying to get their employees back to work by making them sign disclaimers of responsibility where the latter agree not to prosecute them if they contact the covid- 19.
"It is useless, it has no legal value," insisted the Minister, recalling that the responsibility of employers was anyway only on the "means" of protection put in place against the coronavirus.
"An employer is not responsible if an employee becomes ill and catches the coronavirus, which unfortunately can be caught everywhere". But "if he has not put in place the guide to good practice, the barrier gestures, at that time he engages his responsibility", she recalled.
"We are not going to work under any conditions. It is normal and it is not new," she concluded.
© 2020 AFP