France Extends Social Security Coverage To Non-Salaried Workers

The French government has given informal approval for florists and bakers to have employees work on May 1. This follows union calls for a holiday and a strike against proposed labor law expansions. The economy minister also mentioned a minimum wage increase of at least 2% effective June 1. Merchants in France are tacitly permitted to open businesses on May 1 despite the public holiday. The government is calling for collective intelligence to avoid sanctions, though labor inspectors remain independent and may still conduct checks. The French government announced a temporary tolerance policy regarding labor laws for May 1. These employees must be paid double wages to qualify for the exemption. The CGT general secretary, Sophie Bineh, described the policy as scandalous. A new law has been adopted to extend social security protections to various categories of French citizens who previously lacked coverage. The legislation includes artisans, merchants, agricultural workers, and spouses. It also covers heads of families and individuals performing non-salaried professional activities. The law aims to include those who, for various reasons, do not currently exercise a professional activity.