Faced with a minimum wage deemed insufficient, the Michelin group announces the establishment of a “decent” salary for its employees

Aucun salarié du groupe Michelin n'est rémunéré au salaire minimum, assure son président. ILLUSTRATION MAXPPP – Fotostand/K. Schmitt

Le patron du groupe Michelin a annoncé ce mercredi 17 avril la mise en place d’un salaire "décent" pour ses 132 000 salariés, destiné à "subvenir aux besoins essentiels" tout en constituant une épargne de précaution.

The Michelin tire group announced this Wednesday April 17 in Clermont-Ferrand the implementation of a "decent" and a "universal social protection floor" for its 132,000 employees worldwide. This decent salary guarantees remuneration equivalent to the "living wage" as defined by the United Nations Global Compact, announced Michelin.

This salary should allow "each employee to meet the essential needs" of a family of four people (food, transport, education, health costs) but also to build up precautionary savings and acquire consumer goods.

Between 1.5 times and 3 times the minimum wage

"It’is a logical commitment to all employees of the group […] You devote time to developing yourself and the company and in return we, gives you the means at least for a family of four individuals – two parents and two children – that a single salary makes it possible to consider housing, food but also leisure, a little savings,  etc.", declared to AFP Florent Menegaux, CEO of the Michelin group.

In France, this represents 39 638 euros per year for a gross salary in Paris, 25 356 euros in Clermont-Ferrand, where the headquarters of the band. The minimum wage amounts to 21,203 euros gross. In Brazil, Michelin's "decent" salary is 37 347 reals (for a minimum wage of 16 944 reals ) and in China 69 312 yuan (minimum wage at 29 040 yuan).

"On average, the decent wage represents between 1.5 times and 3 times the minimum wage", said Florianne Viala, director of compensation for the group.

A "universal social protection floor"

By the end of 2024, Michelin's 132,000 employees will also benefit from a "universal social protection base&quot ; which consists of maternity leave of at least 14 weeks and paternity leave of four weeks paid at 100%.

In France, some companies, including the pharmaceutical group Sanofi or Abeille Assurances, offer longer paternity leave, from ten to fourteen weeks.

This base also aims to "protect the family of a deceased employee" with the payment of ;a death benefit of at least one year and an education pension for children, regardless of the employee's seniority. Health coverage is also offered to employees and their families.

"France is extremely protected but we forget that there are a whole bunch of countries in the world where this does not exist& quot;, underlined Mr. Menegaux. "What we want is for people to be fully engaged in what’ ;rsquo;they are", he added.