French are told they 'don't work enough' as minister launches crackdown on Le Sickie to stop country slipping into bankruptcy
Prime Minister François Bayrou is cracking down on those who pull a sickie in an attempt to 'reconcile the French with work', and save the country from bankruptcy.
The country has fewer people working than its neighbours and spends the most on benefits, 'yet the French are increasingly dissatisfied with their public services and we are the most pessimistic country in the world', the prime minister said last week when laying out plans for next year's budget.
President Emmanuel Macron tasked Bayrou with crafting a budget that shaves costs to bring down France's staggering debt and deficit - while also adding billions in new defense spending to face what Macron says are resurgent threats from Russia and beyond.
His proposed measures include scrapping two public holidays, putting pressure on doctors to stop handing out notes for non-existent symptoms and getting people off work to tell their employers the medical condition they are suffering from.
The level of absence from work in France is one of Europe's highest and at least double that of Britain.
Nearly six percent of employees in the private sector are off sick from work at any time, while the rate of absenteeism has soared by 40 percent over the last five years.
Between 2014 and 2022, there was a 79 percent increase in public servants taking sick leave.
Meanwhile, people staying off work for 'psycho-social' conditions have jumped since the pandemic.
The cost of these absences is estimated at up to 80 billion euros, or £69 billion.
But his plans have sparked outrage among opposition groups on the left and right sides of the political spectrum.
In addition, unions have accused the government of trying to 'destroy the health of the French' as they crack down on sick leave.
Parliament is set to vote on Bayrou's 2026 budget this autumn.
With no parliamentary majority, Macron's centrist grouping must win support from adversaries on the left and right to pass the budget.
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