While the French are called upon to stay confined to their homes, the anger of employees in both essential and non-essential sectors is being felt. In non-essential sectors, those who are not on technical unemployment, or teleworking, or who do not have children to look after feel sacrificed in the name of the economy. With in addition, the fear of contaminating their family or spouse by returning each day. They are asked to continue to go to work in sometimes questionable health security conditions...
The employees concerned testify en masse on social networks. Mostly in non-essential sectors (excluding food, health, waste and safety in particular), they are not given gloves, masks or hydro-alcoholic gel when entering the company or when going to see customers. Since health and food professionals have priority , it seems difficult or even impossible to equip workers in other sectors. Indeed, some university hospitals have already launched calls to manufacture cloth masks to compensate for the lack of stock of FFP2 type masks, reserved for caregivers.
Company managers in sectors that are not essential to daily life (food, hygiene, health, etc.) take measures that they consider sufficient. For example, at Soitec in Crolles, employees who cannot telecommute are invited “to wash their hands regularly, not to greet each other with their hands. They must enter the locker room one by one to put on their overalls, and in the canteen, only takeaway meals or sandwiches are offered. »
When we know that Covid-19 can stay up to 3 hours on dry surfaces or in ambient air, in suspension, however, the effectiveness of this type of measure can be doubted to prevent the spread of the virus.
At Precia Molen, mobile technicians have disinfectant wipes to clean their hands before and after meeting their customers. They received the same instructions:wash their hands, do not greet each other with their hands, avoid gatherings with other employees or managers. It is the customers who equip the technicians, on site, with gloves, masks and gel.
Interviewed by telephone, the company's general manager, René Colombel, spoke about these measures. He replied that the company does its best to prevent their employees from taking risks:
To the question, “don't you feel responsible for the risks you are putting your employees and their families at risk by asking them to come to work when this is not an essential sector?” , René Colombel replies:
STMicroelectronics, which employs hundreds of people, did not respond to our interview.
Among truck drivers and delivery people, the anger is also palpable and is expressed again on social networks.
CM:How is work going at the moment? What are the security measures for delivery people? Jean-François, driver:"Poverty... Little or no toilet facilities for washing, nothing to eat because we deliver to supermarkets but we don't have time to go shopping… There are still the station stores on the highway and their exorbitant prices. » CM:Did you ask for masks and gel? Jean-François:"It's done but the masks are useless if there is no disinfection of the premises where you are going…. Door handles, transport papers,… Everything is contaminated… Same for stores where everyone touches everything. The gel is useless, it kills bacteria not viruses. » However, wearing a mask would limit even a little the risk of transmission of the virus from the hands to the face.The State has its share of responsibility by authorizing companies in non-essential sectors to continue working when teleworking is not possible. However, we must reduce the number of infected people who will have to go to the hospital, but for that, it might be necessary for everyone to be confined to non-essential sectors.
On the networks, messages like this are multiplying:“You do not have the right to reunite with your family but you have the right to mingle with your colleagues at work” (and bring the virus home!) The measure is difficult to understand because it is not applied to all those to whom it could be.
A call to resign was launched by employees of the Chantiers de l'Atlantique, who refuse to go to work: "We are more than 10,000 working here while everyone is confined! »
Amazon France employees also demand work stoppage , without dismissal. How will she deal with this problem as the firm announced today that it will continue to deliver essential products? (Baby products, health and household products, beauty and body care, food, industrial and scientific equipment, pet products.)
In Switzerland, trade unions in Romandie have launched a national call to “stop all production and service activities that are not socially necessary and urgent. Our lives are worth more than their profits , justify the signatories of the appeal.
On Facebook, police unions like that of Alliance in Paris, Rhône-Alpes or Haute-Garonne are also stepping up to the plate. They threaten the administration to use their right of withdrawal due to the lack of protective equipment and the risk of contaminating their families.
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