“The issue of wage sobriety should be extended to all companies”

HAS at a time when the French are called to sobriety, the government would consider modifying the regulations in force on the salaries of the bosses of public companies, to find a replacement for the boss ofEDF, Jean-Bernard Levy. The State would lack candidates to lead this exceptional project that is the energy transition of our country and its ability to adapt to a world with finite resources, if the remuneration for this major position could not exceed twenty-five times the minimum wage. per month.

But where have all these talents from our great schools, among the best in the world, gone, in particular the X-Mines, who have, moreover, been paid by the nation for years, including during their studies, and who now would refuse to occupy this position “at the service of the nation” for 450,000 euros per year?

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At a time when a new generation says it is ready to lower its wage demands based on business commitment, or even to leave large companies to focus on organizations and jobs that have a positive impact on ecological and social issues, such a turnaround raises questions. It would seem incomprehensible to us that such a decision should be taken so quickly, without reflection on a new recruitment methodology, more open, more rigorous, more transparent to find competent, exceptional industrial candidates, putting the general interest above their interest. particular.

A salutary compass

In addition, the period of inflation and forced sobriety – particularly acute for energy companies – also requires sharing efforts and curbing the rise in prices by sharing the wealth better so that this does not affect the most precarious employees and consumers.

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This is the case of Total’s exceptional profits, which could lead to a exceptional taxation to accelerate the ecological transition, as was the case for mutuals with the “ covid tax “. This is the case with the necessary wage sobriety, especially in public companies, but also in all those which engage in a dynamic of sobriety.

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The capping of the salaries of the directors of public companies therefore seems to us to be an essential asset, a salutary compass in times of crisis, which it would be incomprehensible to call into question today.

Transparency

Beyond the case of EDF, we propose that this issue of wage sobriety and the fair distribution of value even be extended to all companies, by implementing key measures such as the obligation to transparency pay gaps between the lowest and the highest salary, a clear tax incentive to reduce the pay gaps which have exploded since 2008, conditioning of 50% of the variable part of executive compensation on their validated ecological and social performance by a Impact Scoreand an extension of the cap on executive compensation applied to public companies for all companies in the social and solidarity economy, while some of them already comply with a stricter cap (1 to 10).

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