Santa Claus will not have given them the gift of retention. Result: the professional firefighters of Tarn-et-Garonne continue their symbolic strike started on December 7, 2024. A month in which they hope for guarantees.
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Professional firefighters from the Tarn-et-Garonne Fire and Rescue Service are observing a symbolic strike from Sainte-Barbe. A first notice period would run until December 23. But the movement was prolonged. The inter-union made up of FO and the CGT is still waiting to be reassured about maintaining the workforce.
“Please, Santa Claus, firefighters in our trucks!“This is the kind of message displayed on the banners which have flourished, since the start of the strike, in the aid centers of Tarn-et-Garonne. Two rallies were organized by the Sdis 82 inter-union to present its demands. It was December 7, St. Barbara's Day, then December 17, during the board meeting.
“Response times are increasing, there is less availability of volunteer firefighters, vehicles are understaffed and we are forced to leave on the first call to the sector of another center“, explains Ludovic Herpsont, of the CGT of Sdis 82. For the inter-union, there is danger and the limits of the system have been reached. And the prospects are not very encouraging.
“A memorandum of understanding signed in 2023 noted the creation of three positions, one for the end of 2024 and two in 2025. But these positions were frozen“, indicates the CGT representative of the Tarn-et-Garonne firefighters. Added to this are retirements and contract positions which expire in 2025. The equivalent of six professional firefighters and administrative staff.
Concerning the freezing of job creation, the CGT representative of Sdis 82 has little illusion. But the inter-union would like to obtain a deadline. As for the replacement of contract workers and retirements, “we had our director who told us that it was within budgetsays Ludovic Herpsont. So, what we are now asking of the chairman of the board of directors is to have a written statement on this.“
The chairmanship of the Sdis board of directors is ensured by Michel Weill. And it is rumored that the president of the Department of Tarn-et-Garonne was to discuss these demands with the elected representatives of his majority, this Monday, January 6, 2025.We are waiting for news“. During the Sainte-Barbe ceremonies, on December 7, Michel Weill spoke to the firefighters. Underlining the unprecedented budgetary restrictions imposed by the government, the president of the departmental council recalled that the subsidy of community investment granted to Sdis in 2024 was 250,000 euros.
In addition to the purchase of our intervention vehicles in 2025, “governance will do what is necessary to resume the work of professionalizing Sdis 82. The Department will do everything possible to maintain an effective local service“, Michel Weill also assured.
