The union confederation reiterated its support for the five agents in question, accusing the municipality of wanting to make them "pay" for the "malfunctions" of its funeral service. Four automatic retirements and a two-year suspension were pronounced against the gravediggers.
The decision to sanction them now rests with the mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, who should make a final decision in the coming weeks. "The municipality is hiding behind this media coverage by wanting to make people pay for its dysfunctions and shortcomings," said the CGT of Territorial Marseille in a press conference given this Friday on the sidelines of the city's municipal council. "This disciplinary council should have been postponed to allow for more elements in order to make informed and fair decisions," added the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) in a separate press conference on the same day. "It's a case that continues to generate ink in Marseille," said a member of the union.