The announced abolition of labor exchange in Manosque creates strong dissension between the mayor and his opposition
The Bourse du Travail in Manosque has a history, a past, like all institutions of this type in France, whatever their names: Maison des Travailleurs, Maison du Peuple… Created at the beginning of the 20th century and installed after the 2nd World War Place Marcel Pagnol, it brings together employee unions and aims to welcome workers with or without a job, retirees, all those who want information, advice, assistance to resolve individual or collective work-related problems. The Labor Exchange is now housed in a dilapidated, degraded building, Place Marcel Pagnol, which the City wishes to renovate to create housing (especially for the younger generations) and fairly large shops. All this within the framework of the operation to revitalize the city center included in the “Cœur de Ville” action. In a press release published on April 21, the Mayor recalls “ having indicated in the Municipal Council that he had met the unions housed in the La Bourse du Travail building and specified that the City would relocate the unions at its expense ”. The left-wing opposition (“Demain Manosque”) echoing the concerns of the unions and in particular the CGT, underlines for its part that “ the Mayor of Manosque has just announced the abolition of La Bourse du Travail! He dares to go so far as to say that it would be useless because of the current existence of Pôle Emploi! Either he ignores the distinct missions of two entities, it is then unworthy of a city councilor, or he ignores nothing, it is then a frontal attack against the general interest and against access to the rights of the majority of our population. This political decision is all the more unacceptable since the current context of crisis which weighs on the populations and in particular on the workers, accentuates the distress and must, on the contrary, encourage the elected officials to secure and protect the inhabitants. “. When questioned, Camille Galtier repeats over and over again that he is convinced of the need to support and help employees and their representatives, “ it is a value that I defend He said.
Relocated … but
He once again ensures that the unions will be rehoused free of charge by agreement with the Town Hall, grouped together if possible in premises located in the same building. It is clear that in the absence of regrouping, the Labor Exchange will no longer exist … The agreement will however provide, said the Mayor, that it will be excluded from mixing union actions and political activities, which is in his opinion the case today. ‘hui, especially during an election period. “Manosquin taxpayers should not even indirectly finance the political activities of such and such,” he said. Community aid will only go to actions developed by unions in favor of active employees or job seekers, in the interest of all the inhabitants of the Manosquin basin. And to add, ” what would the unions say if the city of Manosque offered the same advantage to employers’ organizations! “One of the representatives of the CGT specifies,” we will only leave the Place Marcel Pagnol premises after being certain of being relocated elsewhere! »
Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, bad faith, political quibbles, political ulterior motives, ideological postures… it is difficult to distinguish between things. Everyone will judge. But basically, if we want to quickly summarize the problem by caricaturing it a little, we can say that the left opposition and the unions, the CGT in particular, reproach the right-wing Mayor, Camille Galtier, for wanting to to destroy and weaken the trade union missions in this matter. ” It’s serious, it goes against the general interest », Underlines the Communist Party. The Mayor, for his part, denounces a grabbing of the Labor Exchange by certain actors of local politics, which he judges as a misappropriation of the aid provided by the public community. Be that as it may, the disappearance of La Bourse du Travail Place Marcel Pagnol would cause the Manosquins to lose a fragment of their memory and their history. Everyone agrees. But urban renewal and the revitalization of the city center certainly constitute a major stake for the future of the city of Manosque. Everyone agrees too.
Guy LIMORTE
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