François Ruffin tackles deputies "completely disconnected from reality"

• François Ruffin was at the heart of a controversy on social networks about childminders.
• Members of the majority mistakenly thought that the rebellious member was not paying a childminder properly.
• In an interview with 20 Minutes , he returns to this controversy and talks about his bill intended to enhance this profession

The controversy raged on Thursday on social networks. On Twitter, François Ruffin seized the fate of childminders during confinement by comparing it to that of Jean Castex, the new Prime Minister: "While Elisa was at 4 euros an hour to babysit, Jean Castex received 200,000 euros from the Republic per year, ”said the French member of Insoumise.

While Elisa was 4 euros an hour to babysit our children, Jean Castex received 200,000 euros from the Republic per year. "You can't expect everything from the state." It all depends on who. https://t.co/q73mHDN6Kk

A willingly provocative tweet that quickly reacted to LREM deputies. Some, like Aurore Bergé, believed that Ruffin was talking about his personal case and underpaid a childminder. Except that the Picard, who does not employ a nanny, relied on an article relating to this subject which is close to his heart. To improve the lot of this job, often paid less than four euros per hour and per child, François Ruffin and LREM MP Bruno Bonnel have produced a report on the subject and will table a bill next fall. In the meantime, the rebellious deputy returns to the controversy in an interview with 20 Minutes .

Members of the presidential majority strongly criticized you on Twitter on Thursday about childminders. What do you have to answer them?

All this proves that they are completely disconnected from reality. By reacting like that, it means that they do not understand how a childminder is paid. There are 400,000 in this country, which is huge, and MPs react on Twitter without having the least knowledge of this popular profession.

It says a lot about their break with the country. They do not understand this country or this profession. This is what seems to me the most serious in this story. Attack me, it's part of the parliamentary game and that of Twitter. But what stands out from all this is their complete ignorance of childminders. Now that they know that these women are paid less than four euros an hour, I hope they will do everything to correct this.

Do you really think that this controversy is evil for good?

Frankly, I am very happy with their error. They put their finger in the eye to the scapula (sic). It seems that we made our biggest score on Twitter with this story. It is a huge source of pride for me. Thanks to a controversy with two bullets or rather four euros (laughs), we highlight this profession. So much the better if it served that purpose. I therefore hope that members of the House will now correct reality.

Precisely, what is the reality of the profession of childminder?

Already, you should know that those who are four euros an hour are lucky. In general, they rather earn around three euros an hour. So it is true that in general they take care of several children at the same time. But it is rare for a childminder to have the approval to look after four children because all this is done according to the size of the house.

In addition, children are rarely there at the same time for seven to eight hours at a time. In general, there is one who can arrive at 7 am, another who does not come on Wednesday… So that makes long hours to arrive at a sub-SMIC by working from Monday to Friday.

What do you suggest to improve their situation?

There must be an increase in the hourly rate without placing this additional burden on families. It is proposed to go from 0.281 minimum wage per child per hour to 0.333 minimum wage. In fact, we want them to manage to have a minimum wage by looking after three children instead of four on a basis of 35 hours per week. Provisional compensation must also be put in place when they “lose” a child who enters school. That would avoid too sudden a loss of income.

I am also in favor of there being a substitute maternal assistant in each employment contract. That would make it easier for them to take vacations or go on training. And then, I believe that the majority could also unlock a Covid bonus for all the childminders who worked during confinement.

Do you have the feeling that the childminders were forgotten during confinement?

Clearly. But they are not the only ones. There are also maintenance workers or even social workers who have continued to work while feeling a little isolated. All these trades should receive a Covid bonus, but we already know the government's response. I asked the question in the Assembly and I was clearly told that these trades would not affect it. If we are not able to have equality on a measure of this nature, when are we going to have it?

Why is this kind of profession not highlighted enough?

Because we know that these women, because these professions are predominantly female, will not demonstrate massively. I also think that many people consider these to be sub-trades. Women have cared for children at home for free for centuries. Today, if I sum up, it's a bit, "they are already paid for that, they are not going to piss us off either." We have to get out of that social unconscious. I'm not saying it was Macron who did this. This has been around for decades.

So, if a forum in the National Assembly can allow me to highlight cleaning women or if a controversy on Twitter can help me highlight the childminders, I take that as good news. In any case, I am very proud of it. But after being scandalized by their fate, we will now have to move forward to improve their profession because these women are worn out.

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