Alsace and Moselle have two more public holidays. Territorial civil servants therefore work fourteen hours less than elsewhere in France. A 2019 law aims to standardize working time. Elected LR and RN denounce an attack on local law. Those of LREM explain that these public holidays are not called into question.
Under the local law, Alsatians and Moselle residents benefit from two additional public holidays: Good Friday and Saint-Etienne. Territorial civil servants in the region thus work less than their colleagues in the rest of France. Instead of working 1,607 hours, they only work 1,593 hours a year.
But since the law of August 6, 2019 on the transformation of the civil service, all French civil servants are required to work 1,607 hours per year.
However, not all Alsatian communities are yet in compliance with the law. They therefore negotiate with their agents in order to increase their working hours. “These two public holidays are not called into question but the agents will still lose leave. They are losers with this law because they are forced to work more during the year to compensate for these public holidays”explains Laurent Feisthauer, the secretary general of the CGT Bas-Rhin.
The law does not provide for an exception for Alsace. The prefecture du Haut-Rhin had published a press release on this subject in 2021. “The 2019 text does not mention local law at any time. It has been forgotten but it should raise this issue and position itself on this subject”underlines Laurence Grisey-Martinez, jurist at the Institute of Local Law.
the Bas-Rhin senator Les Républicains, André Reichardt, had written in December 2021 to the Prime Minister, Jean Castex to ask him for an exception for Alsace. “We are on something emblematic when you ask people in the street, are you attached to local law? They will tell you about these two public holidays”, explains the senator. For him, “it’s a way of unraveling local law”.
Parliamentarians from the Republicans party have publicly expressed their anger. They accuse the government of attacking Good Friday and Saint-Étienne. “The Prime Minister has just confirmed his desire not to take into account the public holidays of Good Friday and Saint-Etienne in the calculation of the annual working time of the public service”, they denounce.
Laurent Jacobelli, president of the National Rally group and related to the Regional Council and spokesperson for Marine Le Pen, also split a reaction. “The government has never ceased to attack our regional specificities, because it hates everything that underpins our traditions and our roots.” His obsession is relayed by the regional councilors “En Marche”, but also by the elected representatives of the regional majority and in particular those who openly support Emmanuel Macron” he added.
The response was quick to to come. Several elected Alsatians from the majority have denied these accusations in a statement released on Wednesday, March 30. Among the signatories, Brigitte Klinkert, minister in charge of integration or Vincent Thiébaut, LREM deputy for Bas-Rhin. They evoke “a fake controversy”. This law does not challenge local law. Civil servants will only have to work an extra three minutes a day.”. They also ensure that Alsatian civil servants will keep their two public holidays well.
–
