Nupes MPs defend a “social emergency” in response to the government bill
Raising the minimum wage to 1,500 euros, “real thaw on the index point” of the civil servants or even “price freeze”: On Tuesday, the deputies of the left coalition Nupes presented a bill on the “social emergency” the bill on purchasing power, which will be presented to the Council of Ministers on Thursday .
The government’s text is “very, very far from living up to the expectations of the French,” declared the leader of the “rebellious” Mathilde Panot during a joint press conference in Nupes, before giving the floor to MEPs from the LFI, the PS granted , the PCF and environmentalists to present their text of 18 articles.
The first of these articles provides for an increase in the minimum wage to 1,500 euros net “from August 1, 2022”. Another wants a 10% hike to fuel a “real thaw” at the officials’ index point, where the government announced a 3.5% hike. Added to this is a provision to “enhance the government’s ability to act” in the form of price freezes on basic necessities, fuel and energy, MPs said.
“Don’t think that it will happen like during the previous term,” warned Mathilde Panot, assuring that Parliament is no longer a recording chamber that “copies” government texts. “We are making full use of parliamentarians’ right of initiative,” added Socialist Group leader Boris Vallaud.
The proposals also include increased rent control and a “minimum basis” for free water and energy for every household. The text also provides for no retirement pension for full employment below minimum wage, reassessment of up to 10% of the APL and deconjugation of Disabled Adult Allowance (AAH). It also provides for a “temporary” alignment of the “conditions for granting social rights” such as family allowances abroad with those applicable in France, as well as a temporary 0% VAT on basic necessities in certain overseas territories.
To finance these measures, “an exceptional solution in an exceptional situation”: the Nupes elected representatives propose a 25 percent tax on the “super profits” of large companies such as Total, Engie or CMA-CGM, a measure which they presented “not new” and practiced by neighboring countries such as Italy and Great Britain.
All of these provisions will be implemented in changes to the Purchasing Power Law expected on Thursday in the Council of Ministers and the Chamber from July 18, elected officials warned, “ready for any parliamentary struggle”.