Nearly 200 taxi drivers mobilized in Montpellier against agreements with health insurance

Les chauffeurs ont bloqué le cours Gambetta, y compris les voies de tram, pendant une bonne partie de la journée. Midi Libre – MICHAEL ESDOURRUBAILH

Taxi drivers "agreed" for medical transport do not accept the conditions proposed by an amendment from the National Health Insurance Fund considered as "a blank check", without insurance for the maintenance of their income. Cours Gambetta was blocked by around 200 vehicles for a good part of the day. The blockade was lifted from 5 p.m.

Around 200 taxis were parked for a good part of the day on the Cours Gambetta in Montpellier. After having carried out several “snail” operations, at the Prés-d'Arènes crossroads, Avenue de la Liberté and on Avenue de Toulouse, the drivers converged in front of the health insurance fund headquarters from 9 a.m.

Threats to conventions

All taxi federations called for this movement triggered following an email received last Tuesday, asking everyone to sign a new agreement before February 1, failing which their approval for medical transport would not be renewed. The proposed document did not specify the new pricing. "We don't know the prices, we can't sign a blank check. There is deep contempt in the way they go about it" observes David Tarbouriech, the Hérault president of the National Taxi Union.< /p>

"It's a forced passage"

For many of the 450 professionals concerned in the department, the threat of a withdrawal from the agreement with the CPAM would be synonymous with bankruptcy. "The most dramatic c& #39;is for village taxis for which medical transport represents almost 100% of their activity. It's a strong move, a 49.3 from the Cnam" deplores Xavier, a driver from Montpellier, himself concerned by this agreement which sets an amount discount on the price of the trip. At midday, a delegation of representatives of the four federations was received by the prefect François-Xavier Lauch and the director of the CPAM of Hérault."In the department it's not good, the discount rate will increase because the Fund records 14% more expenses" is alarmed Laurence Boulanger, president of the federation of independent taxis in Hérault.

The drivers invite themselves to the CPAM

An oral promise "  that no unconventional arrangements would be made on February 1 did not reassure the majority of drivers who therefore decided to go to the CPAM in order to obtain a written commitment on this point. What has been done… but does not resolve the fundamental problem, nor the concerns of the vast majority of these artisans. New discussions are scheduled today in Paris. "The CNAM refuses negotiation for the moment. An update will be made Tuesday evening" indicated Bernard Crebassa, from Biterrois, president of the national federation of taxi artisans who will participate in this meeting.

The blockade of Cours Gambetta was lifted around 5 p.m. this Monday evening. 

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