“I can confirm this morning: together with the Prime Minister, we are considering the implementation of a scheme that would assist our fellow citizens who heavily use transportation to get to their workplace, and slightly reduce their bill,” said Thierry Breton, the Minister of Economy, on France 2, confirming the introduction of a “transport voucher” on Thursday. “It will be a very precise measure, which will go directly into the consumers’ pockets,” he added. The Prime Minister, Dominique de Villepin, will be responsible for revealing the details of this measure during his press conference on August 31.
A commendable but bleak measure. It responds to the requests of the FO and the CFTC trade unions, which have lobbied the government in a campaign to defend purchasing power. “At a time when fuel prices are at their highest, we will vigorously re-table the Prime Minister’s promise of creating a bonus or a transport voucher,” stated Jean-Claude Mailly, General Secretary of FO on Monday. However, during his TV appearance, the Minister of Economy did not unveil any details of the new scheme. He merely stated that “all parties will have to contribute.”
At the ministry, it is specified that it is a “measure under study” that will concern certain employees under certain conditions. This makes it clear. It’s a perfect dodge to avoid revisiting the transportation tax and its potential public funding. A vehement defender of purchasing power, FO reacted strongly to this ambiguous situation. “One year after its official announcement by the Prime Minister, the government simply tells us that the file is under study. It is simply outrageous, because all employees who drive to work are directly penalized,” declared Jean-Claude Mailly. “We are firmly determined to put pressure on this issue; it’s a matter of justice,” he threatened.
Directly affected by this measure, the General Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CGPME) fears a change in payroll charges. “Increasing their cost further would leave SMEs no choice but to raise their prices, which would hurt purchasing power,” warns the CGPME. It estimates that if the state wants to compensate for the surge in oil prices, “it must bear the cost.”
