Background information

On 7 April 2020, the management of PSA Automobiles signed an agreement with the CFDT, CFTC, CFE-CGC and FO trade unions to "guarantee the best level of protection for employees" in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic. Three axes are planned to achieve this objective:

• the creation of a "social solidarity" mechanism to supplement the remuneration of employees placed in partial activity situations;
• the possibility of adapting the programming of holidays in each establishment;
• the implementation of a reinforced protocol of barrier gestures.

The agreement is applicable until 31 October 2020. The provisions concerning the creation of a solidarity fund will cease on 30 April 2020.

Content of measure

The main content of the measure consist of:

1. Solidarity Fund Since March 16, 2020, all the activities of the group's industrial and commercial system have been stopped, which has led the company to place the vast majority of staff under the partial activity regime", according to the agreement, which emphasizes that managers or technicians on fixed-days contracts already benefit from contractual provisions allowing them to maintain their remuneration in the event of partial unemployment. In order to enable all professional categories (employees, workers and technicians managers on lump-sum hours) to benefit from guaranteed remuneration for the period from 16 March to 30 April, the agreement sets up a solidarity fund. The fund will be financed by the payment of two days' leave for managers and one day for workers and technicians. Employees will be able to voluntarily pay the remainder of their paid leave that could not be used before 31 May 2020. For its part, PSA Automobiles undertakes to top up the days paid into the fund by 40%. These payments should make it possible to maintain employees' remuneration for a full month for 100% of the workforce. In the event that the partial activity is extended to all or part of the company's establishments, priority will be given to voluntary payments. If necessary, an additional number of days may be deducted. This may be done by half-day (excluding paid holidays) "to adjust as best as possible to the gradual takeover of the sites", up to a limit of 0.5 days for workers and technicians and one day for managers.

2. Arrangement of paid holidays The agreement takes into account Order No. 2020-323 of 25 March 2020 allowing for the adaptation of the terms and conditions for taking paid holidays. Thus, each head of establishment will be able to impose the taking of six working days of leave during the period of partial activity, from 7 April to 31 October 2020. This week of paid leave may be taken either consecutively if the site's activity has been completely suspended, or non-consecutively if the site's activity is partially maintained.

With regard to the setting of the weeks of paid summer holidays, each head of establishment will also be able to adjust their positioning, provided that each employee is guaranteed at least 12 consecutive working days over the period between 1 July and 31 August. In this context, the agreement provides for priority in the choice of dates for employees whose spouses cannot change their departure dates, for single-parent families, and for employees working 100% during the period of partial activity in their establishment. The latter will also be able to keep the previously set dates, or take three consecutive weeks of leave. In addition, their unused leave balance as of May 31, 2020 may exceptionally be carried forward until December 31, 2020. Finally, the agreement specifies that all employees who have not been able to take their remaining paid leave before May 31, 2020, due to the resumption of activity or the needs of the establishments, will be able to take these days until July 31, 2020.

1. An enhanced security protocol The agreement recalls that, since the start of the health crisis at COVID-19, PSA Automobiles has adopted a reinforced health protocol of barrier gestures (wearing of masks on site, respect of distances with floor markings, ventilation of work spaces, longer break times for hand washing, etc.). Currently being rolled out at all industrial, commercial, service and engineering sites, these measures are subject to internal audits and assessment by health and safety committees to ensure their "perfect" implementation. A presentation of the audit reports as well as a field trip with members of the staff representative bodies will make it possible to share these conclusions, to assess their content and to correct, if necessary, the measures taken locally. In addition, management undertakes to implement communication and awareness-raising actions associated with the deployment of the enhanced security protocol.

Use of measure

The agreement applies to about 68,000 employees in France.

Contents

• Health and safety
• Income protection
• Leave arrangements
• Other topics

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Employees in standard employment	Does not apply to businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
Trade unions Company / Companies	Companies Employees National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Consulted	Consulted
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Only trade unions
• Main level of involvement: Company level

Involvement

N/A

Views and reactions

The agreement has been signed by four representative trade unions (CFDT, CFTC, CFE-CGC and FO), excepted the CGT.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 07 April 2020: Accord social solidaire, protecteur de la santé des salariés et de l’entreprise (www.google.com)