Paris (AFP)

The Parliament definitively validated Monday, by a final unanimous vote of the Senate, a communist bill allowing a revaluation of the pensions of the farmers from 75 to 85% of the Smic, the senators regretting however a delayed entry into force until 2022.

"We have just done the work of social justice together," said Secretary of State for Pensions Laurent Pietraszewski, while the senators greeted on all benches "an advance", even if the text "is not perfect".

"For our organizations, which have been asking for alignment on the 85% of the minimum wage since 2003, this is an important victory," welcomed the FNSEA, the first agricultural union, and the Young Farmers, in a press release.

They regret however that "are put aside spouses and family helpers whose minimum pension remains fixed at 555 euros per month".

The gross monthly pension received by the heads of agricultural holdings currently reaches around 953 euros on average for men and 852 euros on average for women, figures masking wide disparities.

The bill must provide a guarantee of 1,025 euros monthly, a gain of 120 euros, for a full career.

It also provides specific provisions for overseas.

Through it, it is one of the components of the government's general pension reform project, suspended since the coronavirus crisis, which is thus adopted.

Brought by deputies André Chassaigne and Huguette Bello, the bill must apply to future, but also current, retirees, which the executive project did not foresee. Communist elected officials proclaimed to continue their "commitment to dignified pensions for all".

The text was partially rewritten by the presidential majority, to the dismay of the opposition.

The majority thus postponed its application for one year, to January 1, 2022 "at the latest". "If we can do it sooner, we will," pledged Mr. Pietraszewski to the assembly, highlighting technical difficulties.

- "Invisible" -

"Let's stop procrastinating," notably launched Senator LR Michel Raison, saying that the MSA (Agricultural Social Security) "is ready to solve the problem from January 1, 2021".

Mr. Pietraszewski said he refused "to have unenforceable texts voted". Faced with the concerns expressed about the drafting of the text, he also assured that "there can be no doubt" about the intention of the legislator as to the possibility of advancing the implementation of the measure for current retirees as for the new ones.

"The government is committed to respecting the will of the legislator, so that, if possible, it will be done before January 1, 2022", he repeated, adding that "it will remain to find the technical bridge ".

The text is "not exhaustive, but the government has the whole subject in mind", he added, while almost all of the speakers regretted the lack of consideration of collaborating spouses - very often spouses - and family carers.

"Where are the women? (...) They are always invisible, that is not acceptable," exclaimed Monique Lubin (PS).

Another subject of dissatisfaction for the elected representatives of the territories, the mechanism of "capping" which means that farmers who have another pension, due to a side job, may not be affected by the revaluation.

The number of potential beneficiaries will drop from 290,000 to 196,000.

- "What a waste of time!" -

The two rapporteurs Cathy Apourceau-Poly (CRCE with a communist majority) and René-Paul Savary (LR) stressed that they did not modify the text despite its imperfections, so as not to delay its final adoption.

"How much time wasted to arrive at this measure of justice," launched Ms. Apourceau-Poly, a formula repeated by Elisabeth Doineau (centrist) or even Nathalie Delattre (RDSE with a radical majority).

The text had indeed been adopted unanimously at first reading in February 2017 by deputies under the previous legislature. But in May 2018, via a blocked voting procedure, the government had failed its adoption in the Senate, highlighting the pension reform by points then in preparation.

For the FNSEA, the first agricultural union, and the Young Farmers, the revaluation is "a step forward, the fruit of long-term work", but "not sufficient": "the minimum pension remains fixed at 555 euros per month" for spouses and family carers.

© 2020 AFP