“It’s the first time I’ve seen this”: the Gers Chamber of Agriculture faces an unprecedented social movement

“This is the first time I’ve seen this,” says the CFDT union representative for employees of the Chamber of Agriculture. This Tuesday, employees of the establishment organized a demonstration that has not been seen for many years in the lobby of the Gers chamber. With a single demand: that the chambers increase salaries in the face of inflation.

Points at half mast

In Gers, no strike. “We are content to demonstrate during our break, so as not to reduce wages further,” explains Nathalie Michaux, the CFDT union representative. Wages that are not up to par, according to employees. “It’s not keeping up,” protests an employee, who has been in the job for 3 years. Between now and 2021, the quality of life we ​​have for the same salary has deteriorated significantly.”

The chambers of agriculture apply a points system similar to the civil service. But the comparison stops there, regret the staff representatives and the CFDT. “Between 2012 and 2022, the point was frozen, remembers Nathalie Michaux. In July 2022, the increase was 2.75%, compared to 4% for civil servants. Then in 2023, 1.75. We had a 4.5% increase over 2 years in the face of inflation of 6.6%.”

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The request for an increase in 2024 was refused during the national joint committee of September 11, where the subject was placed under miscellaneous questions while the unions demanded that it be the sole agenda item.

From simple announcements, the actions of September 17 have become reality. “We are told that we are assimilated to civil servants, but that is far from being the case,” notes a staff representative, Corinne Victor. “We are fed up with being taken for 6-week-old rabbits.”

Redistribution

What irritates employees is that the financial picture of the chambers is not so bleak. The salaries of the chambers depend on funds taken from the TATFNB, the additional tax on the tax on undeveloped land, and the services offered to farmers (preparing files, etc.). “This year, the TATFNB will increase by 7% in Gers, and the income of the chamber too,” explains Nathalie Michaux. “The 80 Gers employees would appreciate a real redistribution,” argues Claudy Benezeth, staff representative.

Everyone welcomes the commitment of the Gers president. Bernard Malabirade, in the name of the difficulties, the crises in the department and the need for this service, has always called for “a helping hand” for the Gers staff. “It’s at the national level that things are stuck,” complains another staff representative.

The rest will depend on the outcome of the movement at the national level. But in the absence of a positive response, many fear that turnover will intensify. “We are talking about an agricultural crisis, but we need to put people in front of the problems to respond to farmers,” says one employee. “When, at the national level, you are offered a 0.5% increase, we cannot talk about discussion…”