Paris Olympics 2024: municipal police officers called to strike from July 14 to August 15

Municipal police unions are calling for a strike from July 14 to August 15, during the Olympic Games. FREE MIDI ILLUSTRATION

Seven municipal police unions announced this Tuesday, May 7, the filing of a strike notice from July 14 to August 15, during the Olympic Games, and collective action or individual " during the passage of the Olympic flame to defend their demands, particularly salary.

"The collective of angry municipal police officers calls on all agents to exercise their right to strike from July 14&nbsp ;as of August 15 inclusive", announce in a press release sent to AFP the SNSP, the CFTC-PM-SPT, the SNPM, the UNSA, FSU, Sud and the ANCTS association, seven municipal police unions.

The notice was filed this Tuesday, May 7, indicates Stéphane Poupeau, president of the SNSP, who specifies that the CGT "s&rsquo ;is withdrawn for the moment from this action" and that FO and FA-FPT have not followed this movement, which has been going on for several months.

The government "continues to turn a deaf ear"

During the passage of the Olympic flame, which arrives on French soil this Wednesday, May 8 in Marseille before traveling the country for two and a half months, others " national and monthly strike notices are filed " with a view to "collective or individual actions", indicate the seven signatories.

Despite the "Beauvau of the municipal police" launched for an overhaul of the status of these civil servants which has not changed since 1999, the collective believes that the government "continues to turn a deaf ear ear". "He hears us, but does not listen to us !", "He is scandalous that some municipal police officers retire at 64 with a pension below the poverty line", write the signatories, who formulate four technical demands for the revaluation of their function.

"It is impossible that during the Olympic Games, municipal police officers, considered by the public authorities as simple municipal employees, will compensate for the lack of agents state forces or carry out their daily missions", they warn.

Fewer agents than promised for the Olympics

The Paris town hall, which is struggling to recruit for its municipal police force, is now counting on a workforce of 2,000 agents for the Olympics (July 26 – 11  August), instead of the 5,000 agents promised in 2020 by PS mayor Anne Hidalgo. For the torch relay in Paris (July 14-15 then 26), the Ministry of the Interior plans 18,000 personnel, including 1,600 police officers and gendarmes dedicated to the relay.

On July 26, 45,000 police officers and gendarmes must secure the opening ceremony on the Seine, according to the same source. The CGT of Paris garbage collectors, the majority in the sector, has filed strike notices for part of the month of May and the entire summer, particularly during the Games, in order to obtain a salary increase as well as a salary increase. rsquo;an "exceptional bonus".