A ‘trade union power play’
“The proposals we put forward on Tuesday do not sit well with some people. I take note of that. With six months to go until the local authority staff elections, we are facing a race to the top amongst the trade unions. The firefighters ‘are no exception.’“I would nevertheless like to point out that the 42 posts I committed to in 2015, during the previous strike, were indeed created. I would also like to point out that the Department contributes 34 million euros a year to the SDIS budget, and that our share has increased in recent years. Elsewhere in France, the opposite has very often been the case.”
Take it or leave it
“Our latest proposals (*) represent a financial commitment of 1.5 million euros. There is no question of going any further. It’s this or nothing.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate some objective facts: the professional firefighters In the Puy-de-Dôme department, they are on call for 100 days a year, totalling 219 hours of operational duty, and are subject to a statutory working time limit that is shorter than that applicable to everyone else in France; in terms of costs, they account for €24.5 million a year in social security contributions and wages, compared with €8 million for the 3,780 volunteers.”
“I categorically rule out raising taxes or introducing a ‘firefighters’ tax’ to meet their demands. Surely we’re not going to ask a worker on the minimum wage – who works harder than they do and earns less – to foot the bill… I do, however, believe it is important that the administrative and technical staff of the SDIS, who are less well-off than the firefighters, receive special attention.”
Sanctions under consideration
“The method used on Tuesday and the taking of my two vice-presidents as hostages (whose vehicle had been blocked by the strikers as he left the talks, Editor’s note) is unacceptable. I will not tolerate any further breaches. Should firefighters protest again whilst in uniform and using their service vehicles, I will not hesitate to impose the necessary sanctions.”
The threat from the private sector
“By overloading the boat, the trade unions will end up sawing off the branch they’re sitting on. Let me give a very concrete example: we lost the contract for fire safety services at Clermont Airport because we were too expensive. As a result, a private company won the tender.”
“If we are unable to remain competitive, we could well see other areas of business, such as remote assistance, slip away from us in the future. This risk is real; we must be clear about that. I therefore urge the fire service to be very careful. The dialogue must be realistic, and under no circumstances should it take place under duress or coercion.”
Interview by Stéphane Barnoin
(*) The SDIS has stated, in particular, that it is prepared to create 21 posts for professional firefighters by 2020. The trade unions are calling for 38.