This Tuesday morning, around twenty CGT activists decided to go into the field, in Grau-Du-Roi, but also in Aigues Mortes, to discuss with seasonal employees. Several hundred of them responded. Seasonal workers have no trade union organization to defend themselves against the employer. The initiative, renewed each year, is marked in 2021 by the health situation that is in everyone’s mind, not to mention certain bills.
The CGT is aware of the difficult situation of seasonal employees, who are sometimes confronted with employers who do not respect certain aspects of the law or who manage to circumvent the law. Thus, for the union organization, the best way to raise awareness among these employees is to meet them and speak directly with them about their rights.
Bruno Rivier, head of the health section of the Departmental Union CGT du Gard, is satisfied with the way the event unfolded, “The reception of the employees was interesting, they are eager to recognize their rights, which are not not respected by some employers. We must not forget that we do not become employed during the summer season by choice, there are a lot of students. “
Regarding the profile of employees, obviously, the majority represent young people, but for several years, a new population has emerged. “These are people who have argued for their retirement, but it is not enough. We call them poor retirees. This phenomenon has been growing in recent years, with the various decisions taken at the political level in relation to pensions. “
Throughout the morning, topics came up many times in the discussions. Among them, the reform of unemployment insurance, the latter which was censored by the Council of State. “This reform worries a lot, people are wondering,” says Bruno Rivier.
But also, the strong decisions taken last night by the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron. They are very reactive, on the side of the employees as well as the employers: “Concerning the expansion of the sanitary pass, the restaurateurs are not gendarmes. They are wondering how they are going to make this respect. This could create tension. Employees also have legitimate fears, they do not want to be used as a punching bag. Everyone is on edge. »Indicates Bruno Rivier.
The head of the health section of the CGT du Gard departmental union expressed the union’s position with regard to the decision to make the vaccine compulsory for caregivers: “We are in favor of vaccination but we are against the idea of making it compulsory, this stigmatization of caregivers is unbearable. They have been on the front line since the start of the epidemic, they work days that sometimes last more than 12 hours, they are not facilitated in their work and now they are forced to be vaccinated. We ask that it be in the public domain, it would make things easier for everyone. ”
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