Saint-Louis Festival in Sète: a little more than a barrel competition between dockers and crane operators this Sunday, August 25, at the auction

Behind the blue barrel: Grégory Galtier and Jean-Michel Calueba (CFDT). Behind the red: Ronan Kerbiguet and Jérôme Foureau (FO). See you this Sunday, August 25, at 7 p.m., at the auction! Midi Libre – Patrice Espinasse

The 3rd Saint-Louis barrel competition will bring together the CFDT (dockers) and FO (crane operators) unions from the port of Sète, this Sunday, August 25, at 7 p.m., at the auction. A moment of conviviality that will also aim to ease the tensions of the last few months.

Silence, we're rolling! We're rolling what?? Barrels, of course. For the third year, Les copains d'abord have prepared a barrel rolling competition that is becoming an institution for Saint-Louis. After the 2023 face-off between those who care for us (the Sète hospital) and those who save us (the Sète firefighters), the association dear to José Llinarès has placed the majority unions of the port on both sides of the barrel.

Behind the red barrel, therefore: FO, “the union you need”. And behind the blue one, the CFDT, “the union you like”. Crane operators versus dockers, in short.

The weight in wine to be gained, but even more…

Not easy, when you traditionally drive carts or cranes, to switch to barrels! During training in the port of Sète this week, piloting the wooden container is not completely mastered. The most experienced give advice but … "It's hard, isn't it ?", asks one of the 24 participants in the tournament ? "Not easy, replies his colleague. The trick is to keep him balanced, to accompany him by doing the steering wheel."

It's not a done deal! There is still a weight in wine from the Puech Haut estate to be won by the winner. But there is perhaps even more to be won: taking advantage of Saint-Louis and this moment of conviviality to ease the tensions that may have arisen between the two unions in recent months. “We must seize these opportunities to reconnect, have a drink and chat”, we agree around the barrels.

See you this Sunday, August 25, at 7 p.m., at the auction for a “one on one” direct elimination on a course of about fifty meters. Roll, barrels!

The prospect of the barrel rolling competition has created a bit of excitement and a lot of good humor in the port of Sète. Midi Libre – Patrice Espinasse

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