Disinfection of the store, closing of the appliance and DIY departments, supply of masks and hydroalcoholic gel, etc. In the front line facing the coronavirus, employees of the Carrefour de Vitrolles hypermarket (Bouches-du-Rhône) demand more protection. They exercised their right of withdrawal and stopped working until the implementation of strict hygiene measures by their management.
According to Reda Longar, CGT manager, two people from the store - one from the security service hospitalized in the intensive care unit and the butcher - were diagnosed with Covid-19. Several other people with symptoms are also reportedly awaiting test results. "We have the impression that we are being sent to the front without a gun and without a helmet," says Gérard Casbarian, an employee in the fresh department.
In addition to demanding an improvement in their working conditions, Vitrolles employees are also critical of customers who do not have to do basic shopping. "We come to buy seeds, we come to buy soil, we come to buy dishwashers, to walk around and talk on the phone," protested Reda Longar. "We are not there to catch anyone's contamination".
The right of withdrawal can be exercised by any employee exposed to serious and imminent danger to his life when his employer does not apply the health recommendations in force. Since March 27, 2020, the employer is required to impose a safety distance of more than one meter between each employee and client, as well as to provide hydroalcoholic gel or soap.