Fifty undocumented workers peacefully occupied Thursday alongside their union (CNT-Solidarité Ouvrière) the site of the new headquarters of the newspaper Le Monde in Paris, demanding regularization and higher wages, found an AFP journalist.
See also: Michèle Tribalat: Will politicians soon be dispossessed of the migration issue?
Mainly from Mali but also from Senegal, Guinea and Ivory Coast, the employees work for two Eiffage subcontractors, CICAD and Golden Clean, in charge of the works. The employees of the other project subcontractors continued to work calmly. “ This company (Eiffage) does not provide a salary slip or personal safety equipment. She allows herself to do this because they are undocumented. We are three or four centuries back! "Explained Étienne Deschamps, lawyer at the CNT-SO. “ We want their regularization and an increase in their wages. Paying 40 euros for the day or night of work, sometimes going beyond seven hours worked, is not normal, "he continued.
Read also: Economic immigration: are there really countries "closed" to foreigners?
The CNT denounces " the social responsibility of the World " in this case but several workers interviewed rejects it, claiming that " only Eiffage is responsible ". Siku, originally from Mali and who has worked for Eiffage for more than a year, denounces the " exploitation " from which he and his colleagues suffer. “ I'm fed up, we work like animals. We are exploited. Getting paid so little, in cash, is a sick thing , ”he insists. " If we don't have an answer today, we'll sleep here. And if we have to stay 365 days here, we will stay. We defend our rights! "Says another Malian, Badara, in the midst of workers gathered in a room where deliveries pass to protect themselves from the rain.
According to Étienne Deschamps, a meeting is scheduled at 4 p.m. between Louis Dreyfus, president of the board of directors of the newspaper Le Monde , and the representatives of the two subcontractors in question, CICAD and Golden Clean. Contacted by AFP, the management of Eiffage was not able to respond immediately.
Read also: Samia Ghali: "We need economic migrants for the jobs in tension"
