The Sète and Agde police stations are launching a protest movement to improve their working conditions. At least 50 police officers are off work.
In the Hérault, the police are “fed up”. Since the start of the week, around fifty police officers from Sète and Agde police stations have ceased their activity to protest against their pace and working conditions. All are on leave for “depression” or “burnout”
“The general impression in the town is that there is a movement of solidarity towards colleagues who have cracked, who are really in burn-out”, slips to Why actor Dr Marie-Thérèse Mattera, general practitioner in Sète in a practice located 50 meters from the police station.
A movement of solidarity confirmed by Bruno Bartocetti, member of the SGP Police-FO union. “It is not by chance that 30 to 40 police officers in a police station stop at the same time. Even if it is not scientifically admissible to speak of collective burn-out, there is a collective exhaustion to which has been added collective anger, ”explains the Montpellier police officer.
And it is in this spirit of solidarity that “the police went individually to their doctor to obtain a work stoppage”. Some would have gone to the emergency room when their doctor felt that their state of health did not justify a stop, says Bruno Bartocetti.
Bruno Bartocetti, member of the SGP Police-FO union: ” The police reacted jointly because the cup is full … “
Police officers who feel abandoned
At the origin of this anger, the working conditions. Unpaid overtime, reminders on leave, understaffing … “We give our all in our work, and in return, we just ask for better conditions”, confided a policeman from Sétois to our colleagues from France Info.
Supported by the unions, the police demanded, at the end of January, a new organization of work to allow them to spend more time with family. This proposal provided for a weekend off every two weeks against one every 6 weeks now. But the departmental police directorate refused this reform.
Certificates of Convenience?
A refusal that could well ignite the powder. “In Montpellier, colleagues are starting to be on sick leave. Out of 25 emergency police personnel who were to turn this afternoon, there are only 7 present, ”indicates Bruno Bartocetti, who does not rule out the possibility that the figure will increase in the coming days.
This wave of sick leave still questions the role of certain general practitioners. “It’s still a massive and brutal stop. One can wonder if the police officers did not put a little pressure on their doctor to obtain a sick leave not always justified on the medical plan, notes Dr. Bertrand Billet, general practitioner in Frontignan, neighboring commune of Sète, and secretary of the union. MG France. Although he understands the demands of the police, he reminds his colleagues that work stoppages of convenience are prohibited.
Bertrand Billet, general practitioner in Frontignan and secretary of the MG France union: ” This situation illustrates the difficulty of our profession … “
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