Retirement: What does the “bonus” that Bayrou proposes to pay to active seniors consist of?

Published on June 17, 2025 at 12:21 p.m.

François Bayrou on the first day of the pensions "conclave" on January 17. On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, the Prime Minister proposed the idea of paying a "bonus" to older employees who decide to continue working. Vincent Isore / IP3 PRESS/MAXPPP

A new proposal from François Bayrou has been added to the agenda of the pension negotiations, the final session of which is scheduled to conclude this Tuesday, June 17. The Prime Minister is suggesting paying a "bonus" to seniors who are eligible to retire but decide to continue working.

A new idea for the end of the pension "conclave." While negotiations between social partners are due to conclude this Tuesday, June 17, François Bayrou confirmed on Monday that he had proposed the idea of paying a "bonus" to older employees who decide to stay in their jobs instead of retiring.

"An employee who has reached their retirement entitlement and decides to stay at work can be paid a portion of their pension in addition to their salary," the Prime Minister explained during his visit to the Paris Air Show . This measure would offer older workers who can retire at full pension rate the opportunity to remain employed and receive a higher income. This proposal differs slightly from the combined employment-retirement scheme, a system that allows retirees receiving a full pension rate to work under advantageous conditions.

Pensions: last session for the “conclave”

Thanks to the new measure on the table, the pension system could make "savings," argues the Prime Minister. By encouraging the salaried activity of older workers, François Bayrou hopes to "change the percentage of people remaining in work" in order to relieve the system. For the time being, the proposal has not been detailed.

This measure does not, however, appear likely to reconcile employers and unions . "It's coming a little late" and "it's not quantified," Marylise Léon stressed on RTL. "Sceptical," the CFDT general secretary also said she was "not sure that it's the problem with the pension system." While discussions are progressing on women, the major issue at the end of the "conclave" is to find an agreement on hardship, she added.

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Interviewed on franceinfo, her counterpart at the CGT, Sophie Binet , believes that François Bayrou's proposal is "completely off the mark." "It's acting as if there are senior employees who choose to leave before the legal retirement age. That's false. The problem is that seniors are being laid off by the tens of thousands from the age of 55, or even 50," says the union representative who slammed the door on the "conclave" in mid-March. For her, "the solution is to be found in sanctions against companies."

The Prime Minister's idea doesn't seem to convince employers either. "Anything that allows people to work longer is good, but that's not the issue today," said Amir Reza-Tofighi , president of the CPME, on RMC. He also believes that this measure "will not lead to an agreement with the unions." "We really need to find a deal on hardship," said the representative of small and medium-sized businesses.