At RATP, there is no panic, but a certain concern faced with the risk of an epidemic of Covid-19 in Ile-de-France.
The Unsa, the majority union of the management, filed a "social alarm", after the placement Tuesday in the fortnight of two metro drivers of line 6 and line 11, back from vacation.
Two agents confined to their homes
The first had passed through Singapore. The second was back from Venice. They were contacted late by their travel agencies several days after their return to France and asked to remain confined to their homes. In the meantime, these drivers had returned to work for a day and passed their colleagues, exposing them to possible contamination.
"The management says that the two drivers are not infected and that the fault lies with the tour operators. But we are worried about this dysfunction. The company is hiding behind the Ministry of Health, it is not enough, ”said Bastien Berthier, secretary of the health, safety and working conditions commission (C2SCT) in the metro department of UNSA-RATP. The union is particularly concerned about the procedure to be followed in the event of the care of a sick traveler. A meeting with management to assess the measures to be taken to better protect agents and users is scheduled for the coming days.
Stocks of masks, gloves and hydroalcoholic gel
For its part, the RATP management explains that it follows the recommendations of the government and that it has updated its procedures in the event of a health emergency. It has activated its logistics unit to build up stocks of masks, gloves and hydroalcoholic gels, to be distributed to its agents if necessary.
As regards travelers, for the moment, no particular measure is in force. If the authorities wish, the RATP may publish prevention messages (wearing a mask, washing hands, etc.). As for the support bars in metros and buses (less pathogenic than you think), "they are cleaned regularly, even without coronavirus", specifies the RATP.
At SNCF, the questions are the same. Unsa RAIL and Sud Rail made a point on Wednesday with the management on the measures to be taken in the face of the risk of contagion.