“J’I spent thirty years at the Toulon arsenal, twenty-eight of which were directly exposed to asbestos dust.“, explains José, a former technician at the Toulon arsenal. “I declared the illness, which is now recognised as an occupational disease. And I am asking that the increase coefficient for my retirement pension finally be applied. It’s simple.“
“Nantes and Rennes did it. Why not Toulon?”
There was a crowd on Monday morning in front of the administrative court of Toulon where the situation of this former employee of the Toulon arsenal was examined. Seventy of his comrades – placards in hand – had come to support him in this very symbolic fight. The court’s decision was put under advisement within fifteen days.
“ We are asking the courts to recognise exposure to asbestos dust in unsanitary work. The courts of Nantes and Rennes have done so. Why not Toulon?asks Gérard Lojewski, president of the association of arsenal employees who are victims of asbestos (ASAVA), which represents 800 members in the Metropolis.
This time, it was the situation of one of the technicians at the Toulon naval base (or subcontractors) which was at the centre of the debates.
“We are demanding an increase in the retirement pension of the employees concerned, in the order of 100 euros per month. This is not a high price to pay considering the damage caused by asbestos in the workplace. This is the first time that this issue has been raised before the administrative court of Toulon and we have high hopes for it,” details the president.
“ This first employee of the arsenal has pleural plaques. He is suffering from the disease and our request today is not far-fetched,” pleaded Me Julie Andreu, counsel for the plaintiffs.
“A pilot file”
In front of her, the rapporteur of the Republic put forward her arguments, indicating that the facts were potentially time-barred, that the request was unfounded and that the notion of unsanitary works was at the very least questionable.
The administrative court of Toulon now has two weeks to make a decision. “If the decision is unfavourable to us, we will continue our action before the administrative court of appeal in Marseille,” said the president of the association. “We must not forget that this is a pilot project. As such, it counts!“
