The leader of the Insoumis Jean-Luc Mélenchon denounced Monday in Tourcoing (North) the "police violence against the workers" during a rally in support of the employees of Vertbaudet, on strike for more than two months for their wages, a movement that he described as "exemplary".
This rally federated in front of the head office of the childcare brand, CGT activists and representatives of left-wing parties.
"We know that today, the greatest concentration of the working class in this country are the logistics platforms and that there is a particular relationship to work: badly paid, temporary, racialized and so on! “, launched Mr. Mélenchon, calling to follow the call for a boycott of Vertbaudet launched by the CGT.
“We cannot accept police violence against workers,” he also pointed out. "The police I dream of is the police of the Republic, the one that respects, (...) not a police that beats women, not a police that twists their necks, which strangles."
Tensions have been high in recent weeks around this strike movement, which concerns around 70 employees out of 327. The strikers at the Marquette-lez-Lille warehouse have been repeatedly dislodged from their picket line by the police.
A striker said she was going to file a complaint for violence by a police officer who held her with an arm around her neck during an evacuation.
The Lille prosecutor's office opened an investigation after violence reported by the local CGT union against a union representative, who was allegedly beaten by people posing as "plainclothes police", who came to arrest him outside his home.
"Where is Darmanin's tweet to denounce the people who kidnapped a worker in France in 2023 to beat and humiliate him?", Mr. Mélenchon was indignant.
The CGT, a minority, refused in early March to sign an agreement on mandatory annual negotiations (NAO), validated by FO and the CFTC.
This agreement does not provide for a general salary increase, but a value-sharing bonus of 650 euros in 2023 and other benefits (meal bonuses, additional paid vacation days, etc.)
The union, which is demanding 150 euros net in salary increases, rejected new management proposals on Monday, in particular the payment to employees of a performance bonus of up to 200 euros gross.
A rally of support is to be held Tuesday in Paris, in front of the headquarters of the investment fund Equistone Partners Europe, majority shareholder of Vertbaudet.
22/05/2023 21:29:00 - Tourcoing (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
