Restaurant owners and cafeterias were not fading.
At the call of the Union des métiers et des industries de l'hôtellerie (Umih), professionals from the south of France are expected this Thursday, November 26 at 2 p.m. in the Old Port to contest the administrative closure of their establishments.
The procession will leave from the port of Marseille to reach the prefecture.
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While the mobilization had been planned for last week, the announcements of the Head of State, confirming the maintenance of the closure of establishments until January 20, 2021, only reinforced the fears of the profession.
“We are at the end of the line, he is in general distress.
Stigmatized professionals need to express themselves,
”explains Jean Terlon, vice-president of Umih Ile-de-France for the catering sector.
In the north of the country, professionals did not call to demonstrate this Thursday, he said.
But mobilizations are being prepared in Paris for the month of December.
At the national level, the union lets its departmental branches decide how to proceed.
In Marseille, Grenoble, Lyon, Perpignan, Nantes, Nîmes or Toulouse, many rallies had already taken place in recent weeks to denounce a situation deemed unfair.
Coverage of paid leave
Now, the union has few illusions about an early reopening of establishments.
He especially wishes to obtain from the executive a reinforcement of financial aid.
And the urgency, at the end of the year, concerns paid vacation, accumulated during partial unemployment and to be paid to employees.
"In the policy of whatever costs the state, we want it to take charge of these paid holidays
,
"
says Umih.
After several weeks of battle between the Union des entreprises de proximity (U2P) and the Ministry of Labor, this major cash flow problem finally reached Matignon.
Professionals hope to obtain a favorable response in the coming days.
Restaurant owners also want the establishment of personal financial support for the business manager, the aid not going "
directly to the self-employed person's bank account
".
“
Employees are covered, but business leaders who have to live have no income since March.
For establishments which have few employees or which are managed by families, the situation is dramatic,
”worries the Umih.
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The psychological damage is starting to be felt.
“
We try to maintain an activity and contact with customers with the take-out sale, but the enthusiasm is not necessarily there.
The only winners are the fast food chains,
”says Jean Terlon.
The union also denounces a gap between the "
strong announcements
" of the government and the reality on the ground for business leaders, in the French administrative millefeuille.
“
To avoid a hecatomb of bankruptcy filings, the state must simply take charge of all of our shortfall.
If there is no revenue, there has to be zero expense on the other side
”.
Concern for 2021
The objective of this Thursday's demonstration is also to remind the executive that restaurateurs are ready to strengthen the health protocol put in place in their premises before the second confinement.
As we do French traders.
"
January 20, 2021 is a date that is not guaranteed, because there is a great risk of general relaxation of the French in family at Christmas, and therefore of a surge in cases of Covid-19 at the start of the school year
", s 'worries the Umih.
The profession demands visibility over the coming months.
Restaurant owners fear an economic tsunami.
According to Umih, two out of three establishments could disappear by the start of 2021. For restaurants, December represents the third month of the year in terms of turnover.