Retirement: Michel Barnier wants to improve the professional prevention account, what is it about?

During his general policy speech, Michel Barnier could discuss pension reform. And in particular a revision of the system for taking into account arduousness at work.

A little word that can lead to several changes. As the Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, prepares to deliver his general policy speech this Tuesday, October 1, the question of pension reform could return to the forefront. And it would not be a surprise, since the tenant of Matignon has already mentioned, during an interview given to France 2 on September 22, his desire to improve the 2023 pension reform which raises the legal retirement age from 62 to 64 years. Committing to discuss this subject with the social partners, he notably mentioned the question of arduousness.

To understand what could change, let’s first recall what exists. Today, the professional prevention account (C2P) allows additional rights to be granted to workers exposed to occupational risks. Six risks are taken into account : night work, repetitive, in successive alternating shifts, in extreme temperatures, in a hyperbaric environment and exposed to noise. Exposure to these risks is defined according to intensity and duration. For example, for night work, you need at least one hour worked between midnight and 5 a.m., repeatedly, at least 120 nights per year to get points in the C2P.

A possibility of retiring earlier

The principle: each year, points are awarded to the employee based on their age but also the risk to which they are exposed. The number of points recorded each year on the professional prevention account is equal to the number of risk factors the employee faces, multiplied by four. Thus, if he is exposed to a risk, he can obtain the maximum four points per yearif it is two risks, the number of points increases to eight.

These acquired points then make it possible either to finance professional training (in particular to access a less risky position), or to benefit from part-time work without loss of salary or to retire earlier with the full rate. And, since the 2023 pension reform, C2P has a new use. It now allows finance a professional retraining project.

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Points to review

This system is far from fully satisfying the unions. Indeed, they regret the withdrawal, decided by Emmanuel Macron in 2017, of four factors of difficultyconsidered too complex by employers. These include manual handling of loads, awkward postures, mechanical vibrations and social risks. They should therefore plead with the Prime Minister for their recovery.

The only response provided for the moment to this request is the creation, again as part of the 2023 pension reform, of a investment funds for the prevention of professional wear and tear (Fipu). Its aim is to finance awareness and prevention actions against musculoskeletal disorders which can in particular be the consequence of carrying heavy loads or even painful postures. Equipped with 200 million euros in 2024it is currently still little known to businesses and very little used.