Marseilles. Why trash cans are piling up at Saint-Charles station

Plastic bags fly, garbage cans are overloaded and the ground is starting to blacken at Gare Saint-Charles in Marseille. Since Monday, June 12the employees of Laser Cleanliness, the company responsible for cleaning Saint-Charles train station and the metro station, are on strike.

They criticize SNCF officials for remaining silent in the face of their uncertainties. Last year, the Aix-en-Provence TGV station changed provider, preferring to use a management promoting the inclusion of disabled people.

“Aix TGV was a laboratory”

In April 2022, the change of service provider at Aix-en-Provence TGV station resulted in the dismissal of ten employees some of whom had worked here for a long time.

“We are afraid that they will do the same here”, anguish Kemel Jeffel, who has worked in the Saint-Charles station for 17 years. According to a press release from the inter-union of maintenance workers, the employees reported their concerns to SNCF officials. May 8with no response.

“Aix TGV was a laboratory and they saw that it worked. By calling on these authorities, it favors precarious integration contracts. Under the guise of social policy, they reduce their costs, to the detriment of more stable contracts.”

This type of contract, called “reintegration”, is often of low hourly volume and does not exceed 24 months. They concern job seekers in great difficulty : long-term unemployment, release from prison or people with disabilities.

Early contract renewal?

This renewal of the contract could not take place before the one with Laser Cleanliness comes to an end, i.e. in two years. However, the inter-union claims to be in possession of documents indicating that “things could be accelerated for the Rugby World Cup.

Contacted, the SNCF did not wish to make any statement on this subject.

Premium not paid

“It’s not just that, it’s a whole. I worked public holidays which were to entitle me to a bonus and I never received it,” added the technician. Information that one of his colleagues, Mr. Sanchez, corroborates.

According to the union, the RTM, considering that the work was not properly carried out, would inflict penalties of several thousand euros on Laser Cleanliness. Sanctions which would then affect the employees of the company.

The material is missing

However, according to Mr. Yazid, who has been working in the company for six months, there is a lack of equipment to “do the job properly”. In addition to being in understaffedsome machines would no longer be in working order.

The employees of Laser Cleanliness affirmed thatthey will continue their strike movement until they win their case. Last year, the SNCF had not given reason to the striker of Aix-en-Provence.

It can therefore be expected that the garbage cans keep piling up in Saint-Charles station for some time yet.

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