Elections to the Aude Chamber of Agriculture are held from January 15 to 31. The farmers will have to elect their representatives, but the Force Ouvrière union which will present candidates recalls that there are also 8,000 employees who are called to vote in the department, and intends to represent them.
“Where are the voices of employee representatives?” While the elections to the Chamber of Agriculture of Aude are going to be held, with a vote which will be open from January 15 to 31, the Force Ouvrière union deplores a lack of consideration from colleges 3a and 3b, i.e. the representatives to the chamber of agricultural production employees and those of professional agricultural groups. “We talk little about it in the context of these elections, even though these people represent 8,000 employees in the department”underlines Marc Adivèze, secretary general of the FO 11 departmental union.
“We only hear about the employers' unions. It's a problem, because we need to be able to debate. The voice of the bosses is not enough”underlines Laurent Rescanières, secretary general of FO FGTA. Thus, five people under the FO banner will be presented for each college. People from all walks of life: small or large cooperatives, banks, Mutualité sociale agricole (MSA), etc.
Among FO's demands, “that state aid be conditional. Some companies benefit from millions of euros in aid, it is necessary to check that it actually reaches employees, either by participating in maintaining employment, or better, by developing it”underlines Sébastien Busiris, secretary general of the federation of employees and managers. Another demand, the improvement of working conditions and the increase in salaries: “There are exemptions from employer contributions when the employee is paid up to 1.2 times the minimum wage. So of course they are not paid better than that”further deplores Laurent Rescanières.
-Marc Adivèze pleads for FO representation in the Chamber of Agriculture: “We are used to negotiating to obtain social protection agreements. We have a pragmatic approach”he insists. “The Chambers of Agriculture can only move forward on their two legs. And employees are one of them”he concludes.