Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2022, published 111st ILC session (2023)

Paid Educational Leave Convention, 1974 (No. 140) - France (Ratification: 1975)

Articles 2 to 5 of the Convention. Formulation and application of a policy designed to promote the granting of paid educational leave. The Committee notes with interest the existence of the personal training account and its recent modality, since 1 January 2019, in providing financing for career transition projects. The Government indicates that the Act of 5 September 2018, on freedom to choose one’s professional future, guarantees this modality. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information on the legislation, policies and measures guaranteeing the right to paid educational leave in the public and private sectors, including for the purpose of civil and trade union education. It also invites the Government to provide statistics, disaggregated by age and sex, on the impact of the systems currently available, in particular the personal training account.

Article 6 of the Convention. Participation of the social partners. The Committee notes the existence of regional joint interprofessional commissions (CPIR), known as “Transitions pro” associations, and the work they perform in managing career transition projects. The Committee also notes the Collective Transitions system, created in January 2021 following work conducted with the social partners. The Government indicates that the objectives and modalities for bringing the system into operation are set out in Ministerial Direction No. DGEFP/SDPFC/MDFF/2021-13 of 11 January 2021, and that the system is aimed at workers whose employment is endangered and who wish to turn towards more promising local employment. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information on the measures envisaged to promote the participation of the social partners in the formulation and implementation of the policy to promote paid educational leave.

Application in practice. COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee notes the adoption of a recovery plan to address the effects of the health crisis and, in particular, the component of the plan referred to as “vocational retraining” (“reconversion professionnelle”). Because of this component, the Transition pro associations have additional resources at their disposal to finance career transition projects oriented towards retraining with high employment prospects locally, or to support workers in sectors of activity in which employment is falling. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information on the systems in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic while respecting the application of the Paid Educational Leave Convention, 1974 (No. 140).