The exit door is not for this time. The government has offered “end of crisis” solutions to health workers in Guadeloupe suspended because of their refusal to be vaccinated. In vain, said Thursday Joël Mathurin, chief of staff of the Minister Delegate for Overseas Jean-François Carenco.
“According to figures from the Regional Health Agency, there are 221 people [soignants, personnels administratifs et libéraux] who are concerned on the territory”, he specified, including “93 people from the CHU”. Suspended and without pay for more than a year, these caregivers are asking for reinstatement in their establishments, with regular PCR tests instead of the vaccine against Covid-19, which the Ministry of Health rejects.
Departures “at a minimum of 40,000 euros”
On a visit to Guadeloupe, Joël Mathurin offered the unions an “exceptional departure plan” with increased contractual terminations, by multiplying “by three the compensation offered by the classic scales”. Departures “will be at a minimum of 40,000 euros”, he assured. Enough to consider “the retraining of these people who are not in line with the requirements of their profession”.
“We will also make it possible to take early retirement by making the financial arrangements largely flexible,” explained the ministry’s emissary, adding that these arrangements would be applied to “everyone” in Guadeloupe. But, he lamented, “the union’s response was an end of inadmissibility”.
A little earlier in the afternoon, the “collective of organizations in struggle” had declared in a letter “ready to initiate a process of negotiations” with a view to the “reintegration” of all the personnel concerned, but had in advance, refused to “negotiate dismissal processes”.