Nice, last stop, everyone gets off. Almost forty of them are heading to the Albert 1er Gardens, opposite the Promenade des Anglais. The CFDT union members set up tables and chairs under the canopies. Like a big group of friends, they joyfully prepare their welcome. Everyone is wearing a fluorescent orange T-shirt with the union’s logo, and a single slogan on the back: “respected.” The mission is clear and there’s a realization for François Chérèque, General Secretary of the CFDT: “There are labor laws; we are here simply to enforce them.”
Since June 29th, the CFDT tour has passed through no less than eleven regions, aiming at each stop to improve the situation of seasonal workers. A preventive campaign on the Côte d’Azur that is justified. “There are young people who get involved without a real employment contract. Usually, they don’t dare admit that they are paid under the table,” confides Cécile Gillier, a CFDT delegate. The bus and its crew are attentive to the workers. They ensure that employees know how to check their employment contracts and that they can correctly calculate their overtime.
Precariousness under the Sun
So that workers do not feel “marginalized,” the CFDT is building partnerships to fill certain gaps in the seasonal employment system. The confederation seeks agreements with certain companies to offer advantageous training, notably in foreign languages. It also reaches agreements with Massif for low-cost mutual insurance. For François Chérèque, it’s not always enough: “There is a lot to be done on the Côte d’Azur. It is a tourist region where temporary employment remains precarious, particularly in hospitality and catering. The political leaders of the city of Antibes refused us any possibility of location. Something fishy is going on.”
Among the many boosts, the bus is also equipped with computers made available to the public to browse job offers online or write resumes, ANPE style. The concept seems to delight each time the interested parties, and the Alpes-Maritimes are leading by example. “This year, the outcome is rather positive. More and more workers have real visibility on what the CFDT has been doing for four years. Things are developing in the PACA region, and we hope it continues,” concludes the CFDT’s general secretary. With 2 million seasonal contracts each year in France, the next tour will surely be eagerly awaited. 
