They say they want to “regain their dignity”. Thirty-six municipal agents of Sarcelles, employees of the urban cleaning and green spaces services, filed a complaint against two of their superiors and the town hall. They denounce acts of “moral harassment”, “discrimination”, “racist remarks” and “extortion”. An investigation was opened by the Pontoise prosecutor’s office and entrusted to the local police station.
Already a strike last July
Last July, a collective of seventeen agents had already started a strike, denouncing “difficult working conditions”. And threatened to file a complaint if “nothing changed”. “They want their honor to be washed, for justice to pass”, adds their advice, M e Calvin Job. “We will be uncompromising in the fight against all forms of discrimination and so that justice can be done,” insists Pierre Baudin, head of the Unsa union, who is monitoring the case.
When contacted, the two accused – Laurent B., director of the living environment service and Mohammed B., responsible for urban cleanliness – did not wish to speak, on the advice of their lawyers. “The facts alleged by the agents fall under the criminal law, it is not the responsibility of the municipality, reacts the mayor (PS) Patrick Haddad. There were management problems, we changed them to departments. “
Respondents today in other services
An administrative inquiry, with a view to revocation (see opposite), had been launched. The first is now in the urban planning department, after a four-month suspension, and the second in the cleaning department.
The officials denounce an “internal system”, held by the two men, ignoring the recommendations of the general management of technical or elected services. “We have been despised, belittled, exploited for years, laments this agent. It must stop! “. “It’s been almost thirty years that Laurent B. (Editor’s note: hired in 1992) was there. He managed the service like a business that belonged to him, a member of the management adds. With his right arm, they respected nothing and no one. The agents say they were forced to work with obsolete equipment, prevented from evolving in their position if they were “not friends with them”, work in areas where they should not … Those in charge would have “benefited” of certain agents of foreign origin to extort money from them, “200 € per month to keep their job”. No material proof is provided. “All this has a name: modern slavery”, alarmed an elected official.
The complainants evoke racist remarks
Laurent B. would have, “in front of several witnesses” is it written in the complaint, to serve on one of the agents “That he did not hire black people”. In a private conversation, recorded without his knowledge, Mohammed B. lets loose on the “Malians who practice communitarianism”: “They can’t read, they don’t know how to write, they’re big m… They dirty your name everywhere. speaking of slavery and my c…. […] and in the end they take charge and give orders to the con ”.
The former mayor of Sarcelles and deputy (DVG) of the 8th district, François Pupponi, assures us that he “never heard any racist comments” from the two men. “Otherwise I would have intervened!” I know them very well, I have never heard them say insulting or contemptuous, affirms the parliamentarian. Now there is a complaint, it must go all the way. “
A revocation procedure initiated
Before criminal justice, Laurent B. was worried by the administrative court. Following yet another report last April, then a strike in July, the mayor (PS) launched an administrative investigation. A file intended for the Administrative Court of Cergy-Pontoise – which we were able to consult – was drawn up with a view to revocation.
In this context, Laurent B. was suspended on September 3 for “poor management of the cleaning market”, “violent and disrespectful behavior towards his line manager” and “degradation of the working conditions of the agents”. He took on a new post, in urban planning, on his return in early January.
In a note to the attention of the Director General of Services (DGS), Dominique Hoarau, and the Director of Human Resources (HRD), Nordine Habibeche, her superior, Marie-Claire Gibergues writes for example: “I am very shocked by his violent behavior against me […]. You cannot work with a director who questions political decisions and rejects the decisions of his hierarchy. I need your help. “
Then abandoned
The other point discussed concerns the contract signed between the city and the Challancin company. Laurent B. would have asked municipal agents to work on sectors for which the service provider was responsible. And this, despite the remonstrances of Dominique Hoarau. The DGS estimated the damage at around 700,000 € for the municipality.
