About thirty presidents of professional organizations, including those of Medef and CPME, sent a “
cry of alarm
” to Prime Minister Jean Castex in a joint letter in which they demanded the reopening of businesses on November 27.
To read also: Containment: entered into "resistance", traders refuse to close their shop
"
While the second confinement enters its third week (...) that a first vaccine is announced but will probably not be able to be deployed before the summer of 2021, raising fears of new waves (...), it is of our duty to raise a cry of alarm
", write these organizations in this letter dated Tuesday which AFP was aware of.
Recalling the difficulties of trade over the past two years, with the repercussions of the movement of yellow vests, strikes against the pension reform and the first confinement, they demand a "
reopening of all shops on November 27 morning
".
They also want an "
extension of store opening hours, during the day and on Sundays
", in order to spread the flow of customers.
The fear of disappearing
At the same time, professionals undertake to apply reinforced health protocols (reduction of maximum gauges in certain stores, direction of circulation, controls).
"
Our fear is simple: the disappearance of a large part of our businesses, large and small, and of several hundred thousand jobs in all territories
", they write.
And they warn: "
tens of thousands of companies whose activity is dependent on trade are also threatened
" in industry, cosmetics and furniture.
This reopening on November 27 would allow so-called non-essential businesses, closed since the re-containment, to participate in the annual Black Friday promotional campaign and to benefit from an additional weekend of activity, crucial to a month of Christmas.
Organizations are also asking that certain activities requiring travel (sale or rental of real estate for example), be authorized again.
In addition to Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux (Medef) and François Asselin (CPME), among the signatories are the presidents of the Federation of Commerce and Distribution, the National Federation of Clothing, the French Federation of Franchising, the French Federation toy-childcare industries or the National Real Estate Federation.
According to participants at the majority breakfast on Tuesday, Mr. Castex did not rule out a reopening on November 27.
A decision will be taken "
next week
", government spokesman Gabriel Attal said.
The government currently provides for the possibility of a reopening on Tuesday, December 1, if the Covid-19 epidemic continues to develop favorably.