“This act must end the painful episode we have experienced concerning the labor market”, began Gilles Lafon, the deputy for development and town planning of the town hall of Villejuif, when presenting the report denouncing the transfer of this municipal equipment and its outbuildings to the developer Verrechia.
Since 2015, the fate of the Gaston Monmousseau labor exchange was suspended. The mayor, Franck Le Bohellec, counted on the sale of communal properties to clean up local finances. However, the tenants, trade unions, then supported by the municipal opposition, formed a collective of defense. Petitions, demonstrations, legal recourse,… neither party intended to give in. Finally, on February 20, 2019, the city council voted to transfer the property to the developer Verrechia. Relying on the law, the unions occupied the premises as much as they could before starting to hand over the keys to their premises. In the meantime, the elections took place and the list of Pierre Garzon, who had notably campaigned for the defense of the labor market, won the town hall.
“This is the end of the monopoly game on our city. Where many right-wing cities attack their labor market and people’s house, our progressive majority is choosing the opposite. There are those who wish to expel the unions for the benefit of speculative promoters (…) and those who support the employees who defend themselves and structure themselves for rights, dignity and solutions to the evils that we can meet in our life professional”reacted Guillaume Bulcourt, deputy for municipal heritage.
Stock market saved but vast ground to be valued
Christelle Esclangon, new president of the Villejuif opposition group assembled, following the resignation of Michel Zulcke, on the contrary defended the project of Franck Le Bohellec. “I regret the denunciation of this ambitious project which had been conceived under the former mandate. It was a crèche project, in conjunction with the Georges Sand school located behind it. Another place could have been found to house the unions in the city. The 1000 m2 plot at the back of the plot was not being used. The children could have benefited from this green space, especially as it offered a connection with an urban farm project ”. Mahrouf Bounegta joined the elected opposition. “We had to keep the building at the front and demolish two pavilions at the back. It’s a shame to have deprived the inhabitants of a project in the service of the population ”, also suggesting the organization of a consultation on this new project.
Several elected officials (Ozer Oztorun, Sophie Taillé-Polian, Gilles Lafon then Pierre Garzon) responded to the comments of opponents, explaining that they had never heard of a crèche until now, and denouncing a “Rewriting history”.
“We need to extend the use of this Labor Exchange to other subjects, and do something with the buildings in the back. In any case, it will be necessary to negotiate with the greatest care with the unions ”, expressed himself Alain Lipietz (EELV). Pierre Garzon says he wants to make the equipment more welcoming and comfortable. “A labor market must be kept alive. It could for example receive the associative world. Due to the cut-to-size sale of our municipal heritage, many associations have problems with premises ”, proposed the mayor.
