Announced in 2019 in the midst of the Yellow Vests crisis, this bonus should soon be brought up to date. The exceptional purchasing power bonus (PEPA) is a boost intended to integrate the new bill on purchasing power. This new measure should also be voted on after the next legislative elections. According to the calendar initiated by the government, this should take place at the end of June.
A measure included in the law on purchasing power
In addition to the reassessment of the minimum wage, the Macron bonus concerns many employees. Said bonus will be received by employees who have earned less than three times the minimum wage during the year preceding the payment. In other words, it concerns those who won less than €4,768.41, instead of €4,631.74 previously.
The Macron bonus was promised in 2019 in response to the Yellow Vests crisis. This is aid paid by companies on a voluntary basis. The scheme enjoys tax exemption and social security contributions. This measure was put in place to encourage employers to pay bonuses to employees in order to improve the level of their purchasing power.
From this summer, this bonus will be tripled. Thus, it could reach 3000 €. In some cases, it could even go from €2,000 to €6,000. Indeed, if the company has less than 50 people in its workforce and it has signed a profit-sharing agreement, it should become very interesting for employees.
A decision taken during the Council of Ministers of May 23
The exceptional purchasing power bonus (PEPA) will be put in place if the president’s party obtains the parliamentary majority in the next legislative elections. On May 23, 2022, during the government council, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire and the government spokesperson, Olivia Grégoire, promised that the Macron bonus will be made permanent and tripled.
The device is supposed to attract employers in view of the tax advantages they derive from it. However, this tax advantage poses a problem since it represents a shortfall for the social system. Indeed, the money that will be put in this device will not go into unemployment insurance or pensions. While the latter depend on contributions.
In view of this, unions such as the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) are protesting against this measure which they describe as a “smokescreen”. According to the union, increasing this bonus to €6,000 per year is nothing but a false good idea.
Prime Macron 2022: can you still receive it? https://t.co/9SNmwpbucY
—RTL France (@RTLFrance) June 5, 2022
An exceptional measure
A bounty is meant to help on a temporary basis. Even if the members of the government display their pride in the face of this measure, it will never be worth as much as a real salary increase. This is why the unions would prefer to see a reassessment of the SMIC rather than this type of measure.
“The bonuses put butter in the spinach, but they are often spent right away. But the year is twelve months! The best way is to increase salaries, ”says Philippe Martinez insists, the general secretary of the CGT.
The Macron bonus was announced in 2018, when the Yellow Vests crisis was in full swing, the President tried to calm the anger of the street. According to official figures, there would be nearly four million employees out of 25 million who have benefited from this device. The latter received an average of €500. For the moment, the cases where the ceilings of €1000 and €2000 are reached are quite rare.
Before concluding, let us remember that the increase in this premium depends on the legislative elections. The first round will take place on June 12. As for the second round, it will take place the following week, Sunday June 19, 2022. The stakes are high, if the party of the presidential coalition “Together! wins, the employees will be entitled to an increase in the Macron bonus.
As for Jean-Luc Mélenchon, he promises to raise the minimum wage to €1,500 if ever the Nupes wins and he is appointed to Matignon. It is up to everyone to vote for the solution that appeals to them or that seems realistic to them.
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