On the mayor’s desk, there is a small portrait of Lenin and, next to it, a figurine representing Abraracourcix, the leader of the famous die-hard Gauls. “We are renowned for being the village that resists”, jokes Denis Oztorun, before resuming a serious tone: “I am determined to resist. I was the first to oppose this law. I hope I won’t be the last… ” The Communist mayor of Bonneuil-sur Marne (Val-de-Marne) will not apply the law of August 2019 on the public service. This, in fact, requires all local authorities to put their agents every 35 hours on 1er January 2022, or 1,607 hours per year.
However, because of the leave they enjoy, the officials of the municipality are not there. Men work 1,551 hours and women, who have an extra day off (March 8, International Women’s Day), 1,544 hours. The application of the law would result in a loss of eight days of leave for the first and nine days for the second. “You can’t ask me that, slice Denis Oztorun. I am a communist mayor. City officials use their labor force to earn a salary, and they are right in thinking that time off is part of the pay. “
Especially, assures the elected official, that the agents are engaged. He takes the example of the service responsible for cleanliness. He recognizes that entrusting this mission to Veolia would cost 1.5 million euros per year, or half of what the pay of its twenty-three agents represents. “But I don’the said. I prefer a local public service, the value of which cannot be calculated. My agents want to keep their city clean, they are at the service of the population, not of a business. We had a storm in June. Trees fell in a school, roofs flew off. Thirty-five officers remained in the field overnight. There, no one asked them if they were okay at 35 hours … “
Decrease in endowments
That said, this fight is that of civil servants. “Employees must organize themselves to defend themselves, reminds the mayor. It is not for me to take the red flag. But I support them. “ And reciprocally. At the end of May, the unions organized a rally in front of the town hall to protest against the application of the 2019 law. “The mayor explained his position to us, relates Kevin Marguerite, general secretary of the CGT of the territorial agents of the city. He told us he would not apply the law. We thanked him. We will be by his side in court. “
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