On July 9, 2022, Moussa Sylla, agent of the cleaning company Europ Net, service provider to the National Assembly, was traveling between the fourth and fifth basement when he lost control of his scrubber dryer. Ejected from the machine, his head hit a wall violently, according to video surveillance images. Discovered unresponsive by movers, he was transported to hospital where he died three days later.
Two and a half years later, the Paris judicial court sentenced the company Europ Net this Friday, January 24 to a fine of 150,000 euros for involuntary manslaughter, following what was requested by the prosecutor during the hearing on January 26. last October. The company can appeal for ten days.
“This is an important judgment because it demonstrates that justice can handle this type of case relatively quickly. It is thanks to the mobilization of communist, rebellious and green groups, and thanks to the support of the CGT unions of the National Assembly and parliamentary collaborators, who helped to publicize this death at work. Unfortunately, other cases that we are following have been awaiting trial for sometimes more than five years”underlines Fabrice Egalis, activist of the Parisian CGT cleaning collective who supported M Sylla’s family.
“Fault of recklessness”
Also prosecuted for manslaughter, the two directors of the company were however acquitted because “the manifestly deliberate nature of the failure to fulfill their obligations has not been established”the court ruled. At the end of October, the prosecutor requested 18 months suspended prison sentence against them.
The service provider company committed “recklessness”ruled the court, based on an investigation report from the Labor Inspectorate calling into question the improper use of the scrubber made available to the 52-year-old agent. The latter should not be used on slopes exceeding 10%. However, the surface area on which Moussa Sylla worked reached 13.8%, causing the machine to run away.
-Concerning the violations of the labor code themselves – provision of unsuitable work equipment and failure to complete training – the company and its two managers were sentenced to fines of 10,000 euros for the company for each offense, and 3,000 euros for the two directors.
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