The gas distributor denounces “acts of malevolence and intimidation” on the part of the CGT, at the origin of a strike movement.
The activity of the gas distributor GRDF, affected by a social movement, is “strongly disturbed“for several days, which deprives 1500 homes in France of heating and hot water”for which the return to service exceeds 5 working days“, according to GRDF contacted by Le Figaro. ” About 80% of them live in the Paris region “, specifies the distributor who ensures “make every effort to restore the gas within 48 hours for the most delicate cases (presence of elderly people and/or young children) with mayors and the energy ombudsmanand as soon as possible for others“. But this task is not always easy: GRDF denounces on behalf of a “very small number of employees” of the “malicious acts and intimidationfrom the CGT to prevent employees from working. “Tools and vehicles have been damaged, equipment has been stolen, which limits the ability of non-strikers to intervene“says GRDF.
Agents of the group are still on strike at the call of the first trade union of the company, the CGT, which rejects an agreement on wages signed on November 18 by the three other representative trade union organizations (CFDT, CFE-Energie, FO) . “As we have many officers on strike, there are a certain number of interventions with users that cannot be carried out“, told AFP Eric Gautier, CGT union coordinator at GRDF.
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Given the population density, the situation is particularly problematic in the Paris region, “where there are big filters that are carried out by the agents on strike“and where the intervention vehicles”come out in droplets“, according to Eric Gautier. “Anything that can be rescheduled is rescheduled and regular requests are taking longer than usual, that’s for sure.“, We added from the same source, without being able to give figures, whether on the extent of these consequences or the waiting times.
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“I have had no heating or hot water for ten days“, testified to AFP Mathilde Adeyemi, 27, who works in the fashion sector, and who recently moved into a roommate in the north of Paris. His appointment with a GRDF technician, for connection to the gas network, was scheduled for 15 November. “On the 14th, I received a text message from GRDF explaining to me that my appointment was canceled because there is a social movement“, reported Mathilde Adeyemi, annoyed, specifying that she had not heard back since, and had been confronted, on the telephone, with agents saturated with calls.
Some of these employees of GRDF’s telephone platforms “exercised their right of withdrawal“because they had some”tired of being yelled at“Said the CGT to AFP. The CGT’s strike notice runs until December 2, according to Mr. Grégoire, whose union wishes to renegotiate with management. “If by then there is nothing new under the sun, it will probably be extended“, he assured.