The employees of the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), which issues independent scientific opinions on the state of the power plants, will be on strike on February 28 against the disappearance of their institute planned by the government, announced the interunion on Wednesday.
In order to “
be able to show their opposition to the reform project
”, CFDT, CFE-CGC and CGT of the IRSN “
file a one-day strike notice on Tuesday February 28, 2023
” indicates a press release from the inter-union.
In full revival of French civil nuclear power and its main operator EDF, the government announced on February 8 its intention to abolish IRSN, watchdog and expert in radiological risk, indicating that it was a question of "fluidifying the processes
of examination
”.
Read alsoFrance begins a contested reform of its nuclear safety model
"
The government wants to remove in 40 days what took 40 years to be built,
" reacted François Jeffroy, central delegate of the CFDT.
The staff, many of whom say they are shocked by the "
brutality
" of the announcement, led a day of strike Monday, with a demonstration in front of the Ministry of Energy Transition in Paris.
"
We issue internationally recognized technical and scientific opinions, we guarantee independence because we are separate from the Authority which takes the decisions, and transparency because our opinions are made public, all of this is threatened by the reform
" pointed out Mr. Jeffroy.
The government's project will go through an amendment to the nuclear acceleration bill, which must be tabled on February 28, and whose final vote is expected in mid-March in the National Assembly, the unions have indicated according to the calendar. which was provided to them by the Minister for Energy Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher.
According to the project, experts, technicians and scientists from the Institute would join the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN, the nuclear policeman who takes the decision to authorize or shut down power plants on the basis in particular of the expertise of the IRSN) and/or those of the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).
IRSN employs 1,725 people, including many engineers, technicians and researchers, as well as doctors, agronomists and veterinarians, including 52 state doctors, 96 doctoral students and 21 post-doctoral students.
