Toulon (AFP)

The repair of an "oversight": the State and the departments will release 160 million euros to pay the 320,000 home help professionals the same exceptional Covid premium as that granted to other caregivers facing the epidemic, Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday.

During confinement, the professionals concerned - 97% women - "played an essential role", in particular by continuing to bring their meals, with "a lot of courage and a methodical organization", to the elderly or disabled, underlined the Head of State, during a trip to Toulon.

However, these employees had remained until now the "forgotten of the Covid bonus", continued the president, who wished to "pay tribute" to them through these bonuses, which will be financed equally by the State and the departmental councils.

This bonus, which should reach 1,000 euros for a full-time employee, will be paid "before Christmas", said Mr. Macron, who in the morning visited, in his two-room apartment in Toulon, a lady of 80 years , beneficiary of a home help service.

"These are people who are every day at the homes of our elders or our disabled people, who make sure to ensure this necessary presence. During confinement, they were there, they kept," said underlined on LCI the Minister Delegate in charge of Autonomy, Brigitte Bourguignon.

In mid-June, the home employment federations had cried "injustice", being surprised that professionals in the sector were excluded from the bonus granted to frontline staff in the face of the coronavirus.

- "Finally an effort!" -

Until now, the government argued that the bonus fell under the responsibility of the departmental councils, which fund the autonomy aid. However, only 20 to 30 of these communities, out of 101, had accepted for the moment to pay such a premium, according to the federations of the sector.

The state finally reached an agreement with the Assembly of French Departments (ADF), in order to "strongly encourage" them to enter into this process, the ADF said in a statement. To do this, he will "put on the table what was sometimes lacking in the departments to pay this completely legitimate premium", explained Ms. Bourguignon.

The government aid will be "mobilized in return for at least an equal financial effort from the communities", and could also be paid to the departments which have already engaged in the process, added the ADF.

"Finally, the State is making an effort and recognizes that these employees deserve the recognition of the Nation", rejoiced to AFP the president of the private federation Fédésap - which represents some 70,000 of the 320,000 employees in the sector. "While we had to fight for the departments to pay, it's a great victory," added Amir Reza-Tofighi.

"We were waiting for this recognition, so we are satisfied", added Thierry d'Aboville, secretary general of ADMR, the first associative network of personal services in France. "This bonus was a prerequisite, because it comes to redress an injustice. But it should only be a step. The fundamental question remains: that of the lack of attractiveness of this sector, and the necessary upgrading of all wages, "he argued.

In fact, in this sector of home support, "there are unfilled positions, because these are difficult jobs" and "the salaries are not there", acknowledged Emmanuel Macron. The question, he stressed, will be addressed in the future "Autonomy" law, expected by the end of the year: it will be about "better recognizing professions, better promoting careers, better remunerating" and thus "build the attractiveness of these sectors", assured the president.

© 2020 AFP