"The professional organizations of the sector (GNC, GNI, SNRTC, UMIH) presented a common salary scale with an average increase of 10.5%, that is to say beyond what had been announced at the beginning of October", indicated Umih, the main employers' organization, in a statement.

"They just come with a grid that does not meet expectations," reacted to AFP Nabil Azzouz (FO, 3rd union in the branch), once the meeting was over.

"The mass of employees of the first levels, which concerns between 60 and 80% of the personnel, will benefit from only 3 to 4% of increase. This does not even catch up with inflation. In addition, it is this population which leaves en masse and that we are trying to attract, "he said.

On the other hand, "there is a 20% increase planned for levels 5, that is to say the bosses. You have to be rational, this orientation is worrying", added the trade unionist.

"The account is not there", added Arnaud Chemain, (CGT, 1st union).

"It was more a meeting than a negotiation. The CGT and the CFDT (2nd union) made counter-proposals and the employers told us that they did not have a mandate from their boards of directors to negotiate. . We felt a big tension ".

"According to their proposal, the bottom of the scale gains 3.5%. This represents 48.50 euros gross per month more. In the higher levels, the increases are more significant," he noted.

“On the employee side, for only answer, a counter-proposal for a salary grid with an average increase of 34.50% was presented to us,” adds the Umih.

"For the four professional organizations, this proposal is disconnected from the economic and financial reality of companies, in this period of exit from the crisis".

"We proposed a 25% increase and the CFDT was even more greedy," said the CGT representative.

"Things will now settle bilaterally, we have four weeks to move forward slowly," said Stéphanie Dayan (CFDT).

"Our proposal was the highest, but without the 13th month. And when we remove the executives, we are at 24%."

"I said that we wanted a moderate increase if it was accompanied by the implementation of the 13th month," said his colleague from FO.

"Negotiation is not blackmail," lamented Thierry Grégoire, Umih negotiator, joined by AFP.

"I've never seen that. Many employees are in intermediate levels and we still have a million employees who deserve to be upgraded."

"We are ready to discuss again, but not at these levels. We have an agenda with two timetables: the salary scale then negotiations on the rest and working conditions. It would be irresponsible not to sign a new scale before the end. of the year, "he warned.

A new meeting of negotiations, which are closely followed by the Ministry of Labor while this sector has been particularly weakened by the health crisis, is scheduled for December 16.

© 2021 AFP