In the suburbs of Toulouse, for several days, garbage cans have piled up on the sidewalks. And the holiday season has not improved the situation. Since December 15, a large part of the metropolitan area’s garbage collectors have been on strike, and waste collections are being carried out drop-wise.
The movement took root among the agents of the community when their management announced to them last November that they wanted to put an end to the “finished party” system. A decision taken to comply with the law on the transformation of the public service. The latter indeed requires territorial agents to work now 1,607 hours per year, or 35 hours per week, and no longer 25 hours on average currently depending on the metropolis.
After a final meeting on December 21, negotiations have since stalled between management and trade unions. “We had planned to meet again on the 24th, but we never had a return. The calendar is not our fault, it is the choice of the community, ”assures Nicolas Refutin, of the FO Toulouse Metropole union.
34 days a year to compensate for the arduousness
For the latter, the garbage collectors have nevertheless given pledges of goodwill by agreeing to return to the “finished party”. But in return, they want recognition of the arduous nature of their work, by reducing their working hours by 15 to 20%. “At the start we asked for 33%, today we are at 15%, which was obtained in Marseille. Which with us is 34 days. We are offered 48 hours over a year, that’s not how we recognize the hardship, ”laments the trade unionist.
With the other organizations, they have an appointment with management on Wednesday to move forward on these issues. But already, the vice-president in charge of waste and cleanliness at Toulouse Métropole ensures that the community “will not go up to 34 days of compensation”. “It’s hard work, we recognize that. But the hardship is already taken care of at the level of wages. Today, we are no longer at two days, but at seven days of proposed compensation. The municipal police, for example, is eleven days away, but the risk is also taken into account. We need something reasonable, ”pleads Vincent Terrail-Novés.
Decisive day Wednesday
The elected representative also ensures that progress is also taking place, in particular by giving priority to the hiring of contractual workers, or even “work on the financing of Saturdays and holidays”. For the latter, if there have been no meetings since December 21, this is not why the case has not moved forward.
Wednesday’s meeting could give a glimpse of a possibility of seeing the dialogue renewed. “Anger has risen a notch in recent days among garbage collectors. If we have no answers, it will increase and there is a whole bunch of symbolic actions that we can do, ”warns Nicolas Refutin of FO.