"In the branches, there should be no negotiations, it should be automatic," hammered the union official on Sud Radio.
"In some branches, five or six levels are below the minimum wage, and it mainly affects women," lamented Philippe Martinez.
Asked about the relevance of the "inflation allowance" of 100 euros provided by the government for 38 million French people, the boss of the CGT ruled that "the bonuses are the icing on the cake."
"The inflation allowance is a good thing, provided you have enough to eat with your salary," he said.
Faced with the rise in energy prices and the resumption of inflation, the government has been calling for several weeks employers and unions to meet to conclude wage branch agreements.
"All branches which have branch minima below the minimum wage must revalue wages," the Minister of Labor Elisabeth Borne had intimated in mid-September.
A first formal negotiation meeting was thus held on November 18 in the hotel and catering sector, which was facing recruitment difficulties.
According to figures from the Ministry of Labor, in September, 45 branches had a conventional minimum lower than the minimum wage.
© 2021 AFP