Standoff between Kéolis and employees of the Agglo de Sète bus network: threat of strike during Stopover in Sète

Employees of Kéolis, manager of the Agglomerate bus network, are demanding that their working conditions be maintained. HA.

Employees of the Agglo bus network (SAM) are demanding the maintenance of the company and usage agreements that Kéolis wants to renegotiate. They threaten to file a strike notice impacting Escale in Sète. 

Kéolis employees, drivers, bus drivers, mechanics and even controllers mobilized strongly this Wednesday, February 7 in front of the depot of the agglomeration's bus network installed in the park aquatechnics of Sète. These staff on rest or on vacation, around thirty, came to headquarters while a crucial meeting was being held between staff representatives (majority FO and the CFDT) and management, dedicated to & nbsp;negotiations around company agreements. And it was worry and even anger that reigned among the staff, after already three months of unsuccessful meetings with management: "In thirty years of the company, I've never seen that!", lance Auguste, driver (among the company's 73 rolling staff , 92 employees in total), came to support the movement in front of the site door.

"They ask us to cut off a leg (…) this n' is not a negotiation!"

At issue, the renegotiation of all corporate and usage agreements in force before Kéolis was entrusted with the delegation of public service by the # 39;Agglo for seven years and four months in 2022. After this date, Kéolis has 15 months to review all the social achievements in force. "I have been a driver for 21 years, this is the fourth delegation I have known and it's the first time that the Agglo has not committed at the time of signing the contract with Kéolis to ensure that company agreements are maintained,  denounces Hervé Pagès, FO delegate and secretary of the CSE. But then they told us "you are not going to lose salary but purchasing power"! Basically, they ask us to cut off a leg and choose which one, it's not a negotiation.

Employees fear losing their social benefits with a blocking of career development, a review of working hours with the elimination of negotiated RTT, bonuses or even the revision of mutual or health insurance conditions. 39;compensation during work accidents. "Roughly speaking, we lose 800€ with what they's announcing while we're all already experiencing inflation, it's not not possible", summarize these two other employees. "They are asking us for even more effort when we have already lost 13 driver positions that have not been replaced, there will be two more By the end of 2024. The work has been transferred 10 meters from us on the other side of the fence, to a subcontractor CP Med, where the drivers work for 400 euros; less. We have made enough sacrifices and Kéolis is not to be pitied, they are largely beneficiaries!", continues Alain Manzi, CFDT union delegate and elected CSE.   

Jean-François Buisson, director of Kéolis Bassin de Thau: “Putting things straight”

"We have new technical and financial challenges, a desire to organize work differently and to be in the exchange", indicates Jean-François Buisson, director of Kéolis, at the time of the renegotiation of company agreements as part of the public service delegation renewed in 2022. He justifies the revision of agreements particularly with regard to investments linked to major projects, such as transport on its own site. "We have 20% absenteeism while&#39 ;on average an urban network with high absenteeism is 12%. The main objective is that people who work are better paid than people who do not work. This requires putting things back into perspective without revolutionizing everything. The company has proposed to increase its working time to 35 hours instead of 33 hours and to freeze a specific salary progression scale but is offering a profit-sharing agreement with the sharing of values ​​among employees. A new meeting should take place this Friday.   

The meeting ended mid-morning without agreement. And the staff decided to join their union representatives in the meeting room to notify management of the imminent submission, without progress within three days, of a strike notice for the coming months which could be disruptive. ;the bus service for 400,000 travelers during Stopover in Sète. The employees who are demanding "a social pact" are calling on the Agglo to arbitrate a conflict which is getting worse. If an agreement is not reached before August, the minimum status provided for by law will apply for employees. 60~/p> I subscribe to read more