The Minister of Labor Elisabeth Borne accepted the resignation of one of the most senior officials of his ministry, because of a "
deep disagreement
" on the way he had handled the file of a labor inspector, sanctioned because accused to have disobeyed during confinement, we learned from the ministry on Saturday.
The Director General of Labor, Yves Struillou, resigned Friday and Ms. Borne accepted it, said a spokesperson, confirming information from Le Monde.
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This departure is linked to the management of the case of Anthony Smith, this labor inspector stationed in the Marne, who had been laid off in April in full confinement - the Minister of Labor was then Muriel Pénicaud -, then sanctioned in August with an automatic transfer to Seine-et-Marne.
This sanction was finally softened on Wednesday, with a transfer to the Meuse, closer to his home.
The minister and her director general of labor "
converged on the sanction pronounced
", however "
there was a deep disagreement on the way in which the file was conducted
", further indicated the ministry.
According to Le Monde, this disagreement concerned in particular the way in which the disciplinary report that led to the sanction against the labor inspector was carried out.
Mr. Smith was accused of having demanded the provision of personal protective equipment (in particular masks) and the implementation of protective measures against Covid-19 for the benefit of employees of an association of home help at a time when masks, which were lacking, were not compulsory.
The CGT, FO, FSU, Sud and CNT unions strongly criticized this sanction and defended Mr. Smith.
On July 21, several hundred people gathered in front of the Ministry of Solidarity, at the call of this inter-union.
A petition of support launched in mid-April has collected nearly 150,000 signatures.
Anthony Smith was sanctioned "
because he did his job too well
," said CGT secretary general Philippe Martinez during the rally, for whom the government prefers "to
protect businesses rather than the health of employees
".
Several elected officials from the left, including the leader of LFI deputies Jean-Luc Mélenchon, were present.