In Reims, the employees of G7 Champagne have lifted their strike movement, but activity will not resume for all that. They are now exercising their right of withdrawal. They took turns day and night in front of their company’s premises
A week later, the trucks have not moved. The twenty employees of the Reims branch of Transport G7, a transporter of fresh produce, have lifted their strike movement. But that doesn’t mean they’ll get back behind the wheel right away. The employees decided to exercise their right of withdrawal after a visit by the labor inspectorate to their Reims site. They had been taking turns since last Sunday day and night to prevent the trucks from leaving with their goods of fresh produce.
On the spot, “the labor inspectorate pointed out several elements, in particular the maintenance of trucks and trailers, also noting that the premises do not meet all the standards in force”, details Jean-Marie Hommet from CFDT Transport.
The employer is also asked to justify the provision to his employees of protective clothing and equipment such as coats against the cold or safety shoes. Outfits that employees say they have not received, despite requests dating back to May.
The elements identified by the labor inspectorate reassure employees. “Upon reading the report, we said to ourselves that we were right”, explains Maher, one of the employees. He had to buy adapted shoes at his own expense, equipment that the company did not reimburse him. “We felt in danger, and there, we realized how much we were in danger”, abounds Nordine, also an employee of the transporter. The mobilization of the drivers aimed to denounce degraded working conditions, the labor inspectorate goes according to them.
Now exercising their right of withdrawal, employees indicate that they will only return to work once the trucks have been repaired and the coats, shoes and other equipment adapted to their working conditions have been received.
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