Force Ouvrière, the second largest civil service union, is demanding better pay for civil servants and filed a strike notice on Thursday starting March 19, which could extend throughout the period of the Olympic Games.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, the general secretary of the union, Christian Grolier, affirms that
“civil servants and public agents carry out their missions in perpetually deteriorating conditions”
.
He talks about
“sluggish careers”
, with agents starting
“at the minimum wage”
or
“painfully”
just above for the best categories.
The trade unionist is particularly concerned about the recent budget cuts announced for 2024 (10 billion euros) and 2025 (around 20 billion euros), which reinforce
“the feeling of public officials of being considered only as an expense”
, far from
“their need for recognition”
.
These
“contemptuous announcements for the staff (…) oblige us to hereby file a strike notice”
, indicates Christian Grolier in his letter.
Also read: Should the right to strike be restricted during the Olympics?
Index Point Increase
His union is demanding an immediate 10% increase in the index point, making up for the losses suffered since 2000, improving the index scale, as well as additional jobs
“necessary for the proper performance of missions and the improvement of conditions of work”
.
The strike
“will begin on Tuesday March 19, 2024 and may continue until September 8, 2024, thus covering all actions carried out in the three sides of the public service
,” specifies the letter.
This period could therefore include the key period of the Olympic Games (July 26-August 11), even if the FO letter does not refer to it.
Thursday morning, the CGT announced that it had filed strike notices at the beginning of April in the three public functions over the period of the Paris Olympics, far from the social
“truce”
desired by the president of the organizing committee, Tony Estanguet.
The CGT, via its general secretary Sophie Binet, was particularly concerned about the supervision and working conditions of
"hundreds of thousands of workers who are affected"
by the Games (bonus, supervision of overtime, installation of leave, accommodation for temporary workers), facing, according to her, a social dialogue that is slipping.