Invited this Thursday morning on France Inter, the Minister of Economy, Bruno Le Maire, addressed many points relating to the coronavirus crisis. Here is what to remember from his speech.
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Hygiene standards in companies
Responding to a question on "employees with little or no protection of hygiene standards" , Bruno Le Maire felt that "we must protect employees" and that " it is an absolute emergency ". "We must take the time necessary in each company to dialogue with employees and redefine rules," said the minister, citing in particular the protections made available to employees, hydroalcoholic gel and disinfection of workstations.
" We would like there to be a guide to good practice that will serve as a reference (for businesses, note)," also said Bruno Le Maire.
What about the right of withdrawal?
"It is essential that the country is not stopped," said Bruno Le Maire. Before continuing: "We want economic activity to continue under strict health security conditions" . What about the right of withdrawal? What are the conditions for exercising it? "There has to be a serious and imminent danger , " said Bruno Le Maire. Before continuing: "There is no serious and imminent danger if the sanitary conditions are assured" .
Asked about the example of cashiers at Leclerc, who do not wear masks, Bruno Le Maire asked large groups to "draw inspiration from good practices", citing in particular the example of Carrefour which, according to him, installed "plexiglass bubbles" around the cashiers.
Read also: Faced with coronavirus, is the exercise of the right of withdrawal always justified?
On the Amazon side, group employees have claimed a right of withdrawal for "serious and imminent danger" because of the sanitary conditions in which they work. The giant of the internet distribution exerts "unacceptable" pressures on its employees by depriving them of wages if they refuse to come to work because of the coronavirus epidemic, said Bruno Le Maire.
The Minister also mentioned the case of the Post Office. "If the Post guarantees good practices, there is no reason for there to be a right of withdrawal," he said. The Minister appealed to the postal workers and said, "We need you . " He recalled that the postal workers brought, for example, meal trays to isolated people in remote villages and communes. The Minister also "paid tribute" , among others, to cashiers and public transport agents.
The ECB plan
Regarding the emergency plan of 750 billion euros announced overnight by the ECB, it " avoids the fragmentation, even the breakup of the euro area ," said Bruno Le Maire, who however qualified the measure " late ”.
Nationalizations
Bruno Le Maire also reaffirmed the will of the government to do what is necessary, including through possible nationalizations, to support large French companies.
" We have several options on the table for all the large industrial companies that could be threatened on the market, it can be capital increases (...) it can be nationalizations, " said the Minister of Economy. " We have all the options on the table, we have examined everything, I will present them to the President of the Republic very soon, " he added. Before concluding: "Saving our national economy is our only objective" .