Paris (AFP)
Some 3,600 companies penalized by the spread of the new coronavirus have asked to benefit from partial unemployment measures for around 60,000 workers, Labor Minister Muriel Pénicaud said on Thursday, four times more than at the end of last week.
This partial activity system, which aims to maintain employment in the event of a drop in activity, represents at this stage a cost of 180 million euros for the State, added the Minister who assured " budget limit "to" save jobs ".
When employees are placed in a position of partial activity, the employment contract is suspended but not broken.
"We avoid tens of thousands of layoffs. It is a tool that preserves the employee's employment and income," said Ms. Pénicaud, ensuring that the regional labor offices strive to respond within 48 hours to requests from companies.
Employees receive hourly compensation from their employer, which must correspond to at least 70% of gross previous earnings (84% of net salary).
For its part, the State has brought up to the minimum wage the compensatory hourly allowance paid to employers using this system.
"We are looking at whether we can go beyond the minimum wage," said Ms. Pénicaud.
"Tourism, catering, events and transport are the four sectors that concern us the most," she said.
She recalled that "any business can request by a simple mail the postponement of its payments of social and tax charges" and the appointment of a mediator on credit between banks and small businesses.
After the emergency measures, "there will have to be a recovery plan" for the economy to "rebuild capacity," she also said.
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