Paris (AFP)

One month after the launch of the "Ségur de la santé", Olivier Véran unveiled on Wednesday the envelope planned for salary increases for caregivers: six billion euros, to be shared between hospitals and public nursing homes, but also in part with the private sector.

End of the suspense: after weeks of consultation without figures, the unions finally know how much the government is ready to spend to improve the remuneration of hospital staff - excluding doctors, who are the subject of parallel negotiations.

During a meeting on this subject, the Minister of Health put forward the figure of six billion euros "for hospitals, medico-social establishments (public, editor's note) and private establishments", indicated to the AFP one of the participants.

This sum includes a general increase in the salaries of public service employees in hospitals (hospitals, nursing homes, etc.), a redesign of bonuses, as well as targeted increases in certain professions, which could be extended to private establishments, said three others. sources.

According to a draft agreement presented at a previous meeting on Friday, these targeted increases would concern in particular the nursing categories (nurses, nursing assistants) and medical-technical categories (laboratory technicians, radio manipulators).

This document, given to the unions, provided that the general increase in wages in the public sector came into effect "from July 1" for the million public sector workers, whether permanent or contract.

For a union official, wage negotiations can now begin because "we finally know the bottom of the range". Two weeks before the conclusion of the "Ségur", "we are entering the + money-time +", insisted this trade unionist.

Six billion is "a significant sum," said a manager of the Fédération hospitalière de France (FHF), who had assessed needs at 5.5 billion euros, but for the public sector alone.

It "remains to work, to negotiate and to agree on the perimeter and the distribution", she insisted.

- "results requirement" -

Launched at the end of May by Edouard Philippe, the "Ségur de la santé", piloted by the former CFDT director Nicole Notat, must materialize by mid-July the "massive revaluation and investment plan" promised by Emmanuel Macron in the midst of a coronavirus epidemic.

For some unions, which claim a "general revaluation of wages" of at least 300 euros net per month in public establishments, the account is still there, despite the six billion put on the table by the executive.

The possibility of having to share part of the sum with the private sector, a hypothesis that was not included in the draft agreement, thus surprised several participants, hostile to this idea.

"The government must completely revise its copy," said even a union official, for whom "the pressure" now rests on the shoulders of "the executive", who has an obligation to achieve ".

After the success of their day of action on June 16, which brought together tens of thousands of demonstrators throughout France, several unions (CGT, FO, SUD, Unsa) and caregivers' groups (Inter-Hospitals, Inter-Emergencies) ) called for new rallies on June 30.

Another mobilization is also envisaged on July 14, in an as yet undefined form, while the government plans to pay tribute to the caregivers on this national holiday, where the traditional military parade will be replaced by a ceremony on the place de la Concorde.

For the moment, the main medical unions have not joined these initiatives, even if their last meeting in the ministry ended short Tuesday morning.

Unhappy with the lack of calendar and figures concerning their remuneration, they left the table after an hour to "show (their) bad mood".

They are calling for an immediate increase of 300 euros net monthly for interns and a strong revaluation of their salary grid, with a minimum of 5,000 euros net at the start of their career and up to 10,000 euros at the end of their career.

Hospital practitioners may find out more during a new discussion session scheduled for Friday.

© 2020 AFP