New day of mobilization against compulsory vaccination.
This Tuesday, the CGT Health hopes to mobilize thousands of people to fight against the deterioration of working conditions in the health sector, on the one hand, and to oppose the obligation to vaccinate against Covid-19 for professionals sector, on the other hand.
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The tone is firm, on the side of the union: "
no to sanctions, no to the work permit
", he proclaims in a leaflet. Denouncing the "
stigmatization
" of which health personnel are victims, in its eyes, the CGT Health reiterates itself in favor of vaccination, but judges that "
it is through information, education, debate that the doubts that remain can be lifted, and not by threat and sanction
”. The organization claims the protection of the “
fundamental rights
” of employees, and considers that the obligation will lead to “
new discrimination
” between workers.
This mobilization is taking place at a strategic time: from Wednesday, the vaccine obligation against Covid-19 will come into force for health professionals. The recalcitrant risk seeing their contract suspended. One month later, they must imperatively present a complete vaccination schedule. It remains to be seen whether the ax will actually fall - a point on which the government wants to be intransigent -, and how many people will be affected. Failing to bend the executive, FO Health had called for "
additional time
" but without success.
In a national strike notice filed last week, the CGT Health therefore demands the "
withdrawal of the suspensions and sanctions measures introduced in the law relating to the management of the health crisis
", various measures to facilitate the work of professionals, as well. that an “
informed and consented vaccination
”, not imposed. Gatherings are planned everywhere in France, in front of the ARS and hospitals, such as in Orléans, Vannes, Châteauroux, Lyon, Grenoble or Paris. In the capital, opponents should meet from 10:30 am near the Ministry of Health.
The opposition of the Montreuil plant to the vaccination obligation has long been known: the secretary general of the CGT, Philippe Martinez, had declared on several occasions that it was "
better to convince rather than to coerce
".
The union warns that the vaccination obligation risks causing many contract suspensions of recalcitrant or latecomers, increasing the workload for vaccinated employees.
"
If 5 or 10% of hospital staff leave, it's a health disaster
," worried the boss of the CGT in early September, calling on the executive to continue dialogue with employees.
Another 10% of unvaccinated professionals in nursing homes
Because if the vaccination campaign has taken off sharply among caregivers since Emmanuel Macron's speech in mid-July, the latter is not yet over. In its latest epidemiological update, Public Health France estimated that 88.1% of nursing staff employed in health establishments had received at least one dose as of September 7. As of September 9, almost all liberal health professionals - 94.2% - had received at least one dose, and 91.5% were fully vaccinated. At the same date, a little less than nine professionals in nursing homes and long-term care units (USLD) out of ten - 88.9% - had received at least one dose.
Strong disparities remain according to the territories: in metropolitan France, the proportion of professionals in nursing homes and USLDs who have received at least one dose exceeds 94% in several departments, including Pas-de-Calais, Somme, Calvados, Manche, Finistère or Cantal. Conversely, it remains below 80% in the Bouches-du-Rhône and in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.