“Ministry of Labor executives accused of training employers to work against their own agents”

This is called playing against one’s camp, or even against one’s own colleagues or subordinates. The CGT, Sud and FSU unions of the Ministry of Labor revealed on Thursday that administrative executives participated in paid training (845 euros per registration) provided by a private organization… for employers.

Training aimed in particular, according to the description of the course, to “to defend oneself in the event of a dispute or of a report drawn up by the labor inspectorate”.

“The Ministry of Labor trains employers against the action of its agents and the complaints of employees. (…)”, denounce the trade unions in their joint press release. These ask: “This scandal must stop immediately! »

The administration, in cahoots with the employers?

“We came across this training announcement by chance, while reading a publication from the Lamy-Liaisons company which organizes them”says Simon Picou, of the CGT SNTEFP. “As we dug deeper, we realized that this training run by a control unit manager on behalf of DRIEETS Île-de-France was not the only one. Others of the sort had been dispensed by other agents. What frightens us is that the regional director, whom we questioned, replied that he saw no problem. The only concern, according to him, is the title of the training, which he asked the organizing company to modify. »

The expectations of this training do not actually go by four paths: “Checking the working and rest times of employees, to avoid sanctions and prove the number of hours worked… that’s a real headache! (…) So what systems should be put in place? What precautions to take? How to defend oneself in the event of a dispute or of a report drawn up by the labor inspectorate”.

“That lawyers provide their employer clients with such training to avoid inspections by the labor inspectorate, it is logicalcontinues Simon Picou. But here, it is an agent of the Ministry of Labor. The image sent back is that of an administration that sides with the employers. There is a real problem of impartiality. Can you imagine the police explaining the remedies or the tricks to blow up tickets to speeders? Or tax officials explaining to employers how to avoid checks? »

Asked, the Ministry of Labor did not respond to our questions.