In Guadeloupe, 129 people – out of 631 unvaccinated nursing staff – have accepted a professional retraining or a conventional termination, the authorities said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Since December 31, a thousand staff have been suspended on this West Indian island for refusing to comply with the vaccination obligation imposed on their profession, the deadline for which has been postponed several times.
A situation of caregivers “more suffered than desired”
To put an end to the violent social crisis which shook the island in November, the government had proposed the lifting of the suspension of unvaccinated staff and their remuneration for those who accept “personal support” with a view in particular to reclassification. . Among the 631 registered nursing staff, 129 people have already affirmed their intention not to be vaccinated and to benefit from the support offered by the State for their professional reorientation, said Valérie Denux during a press conference. , director general of the ARS.
“This support committee that I lead, which brings together the players in employment and vocational training is a one-stop shop that will allow these people to be supported as closely as possible to their wishes,” said Florus Nestar, who speaks of ‘a situation of caregivers “more suffered than desired”.
“An unprecedented device that does not exist elsewhere”
Health personnel from public employment may, “for those who have agreed to dialogue”, benefit from a contractual termination in which the over-remuneration of civil servants (40% in Guadeloupe) will be taken into account, or else d ” training leave, doubled if necessary for leave for skills assessment or validation of acquired experience, specifies the ARS document.
And for those who would not have accepted the meetings of dialogues, they will be able to “use the common right” indicate the health authorities, like, ask for a conventional rupture but without integrating the over-remuneration, as it is customary. “It is a new device, which does not exist elsewhere”, insisted the prefect of the region Alexandre Rochatte.
An unknown budget
This support system planned for Guadeloupe and Martinique is not, for the time being, governed by a legal framework specific to the Antilles. A fact confirmed by the French Overseas Ministry which explains that this “support is done under the responsibility of the employer State, in particular in view of the difficulties experienced by the territory” (unemployment, poverty, and strong resistance to vaccination ).
The total budget for this operation is not yet known because “it depends on the number of staff who will wish to be accompanied and the devices to be implemented”, including for the liberals, one explains to the prefecture. In Guadeloupe, opposition to the vaccination pass and the compulsory vaccination of nursing staff in particular, has resulted in major social movements, roadblocks, and repeated violence in several points of the island, in particular at the CHU.