The CGT branch of the Parisian garbage collectors has published a new indefinite strike notice from April 13. The date is not due to chance, the Constitutional Council will deliver its opinion on the reform the next day.
The streets of Paris are barely relieved of the hundreds of tons of waste that accumulated in March. After having reached a record of 10,500 tons in its streets, the town hall announced a balance sheet of 650 tons of waste on its sidewalks on Sunday April 2. The CGT announced on April 3 the extension of the strike from April 13. A short respite is therefore to be expected before the return of the mountains of garbage experienced during the month of March.
As a reminder, the last strike action lasted from March 6 to March 29, 2023. The drop in the number of strikers led the unions to stop their actions. The strike notice of April 13 is for an indefinite period. Their demands have not changed: they demand the withdrawal of the pension reform, but also a return to retirement at 60 years maximum. The CGT also wants an increase in pensions for all the staff in their sector. Their statement encourages garbage collectors to “actively and massively participate in the days of inter-union and inter-professional action”, the next event being scheduled for Thursday, April 6.
City hall officers do not manage the whole city. Only the following districts are affected by the strike notice: the 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 14, 16, 17 and 20th arrondissements. The rest of Paris is shared between 4 private providers. Stopping collections is not the only card of the strikers. Blocking dumpster depots is essential to paralyze all waste management in the capital.
The strike is announced 8 days after the next inter-union demonstration. The date is symbolic: the movement will begin the day before the decision of the Constitutional Council on the validity or otherwise of the pension reform. The goal is therefore to exert pressure at a strategic moment. The verdict of the guarantor of the constitutionality of the laws is the last card of the opponents of the reform to see it canceled.
The right to strike in the public service provides for announcing any strike 5 days before it begins. For garbage collectors in private branches, there is no obligation to announce their movement in advance. They are, however, required to inform their employer of their strike demands.
In the event of an extension of the movement, the question of the requisition of personnel is likely to return quickly. The town hall of Paris, the State and the prefecture of the capital are likely to clash on this file, especially since it is not excluded that the rubbish accumulates considerably; the threshold of 10,000 tons of waste cluttering the streets of Paris made an impression. Opponents of the municipal majority have repeatedly castigated the accumulations deteriorating the image of the capital.
In March, faced with the strike, state services and the municipality fought over how to react. Faced with the refusal of mayor Anne Hidalgo to carry out requisitions of striking personnel, the prefect of police of Paris, Laurent Nunez, took charge of it. His position grants him this right in the event of disturbance to “good order, health, tranquility and public safety”. The prefect acted on the orders of Gérald Darmanin, Minister of the Interior.
This requisition was justified for several criteria. For the risk of fires already. During the many demonstrations in March, many fires were created thanks to the many fuels represented by the mountains of rubbish. The health factor was quickly taken into account. Far from the imaginary Paris of Ratatouille, the images of thousands of rats feeding on tons of waste in the streets of Paris shocked. These rodents can also carry diseases. The prefect was moved by this in a letter addressed to Anne Hidalgo on March 15, pointing to the obstruction of waste to the “safe passage of pedestrians, in particular that of people with reduced mobility”.
During a requisition, a striking agent does not return to work normally, but it forces him to solve the problem justifying this call. In the event of refusal, he commits an offense punishable by 6 months’ imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 euros, according to article L2215-1 of the General Code of Territorial Communities. This offense can be challenged before the administrative court. It is then up to a judge to observe whether the requisition is legal or not.
