At the call of the CGT, the staff of the Nice University Hospital rallied on Thursday to protest against imposed schedules, massive contract terminations and a management deemed authoritarian. The unions are demanding serious negotiations with the management.
Two hundred people gathered this afternoon in front of the Nice University Hospital, on the esplanade of Pasteur II, to protest against unstable schedules, toxic management, and a lack of recognition. Unions are also raising alarms about the rise in burnouts and resignations.
Two staff members have filed complaints with the Public Prosecutor. One of them, a professor who wishes to remain anonymous, spoke to the crowd to explain that he had recently filed an Article 40 for moral harassment and mistreatment: “I did indeed file an Article 40, and I was heard yesterday by the prosecutor and judicial police. I just want us to regain a caring atmosphere.”
For several months, the hospital center has been experiencing significant discontent. The management has implemented polarizing governance and experimental reorganizations, sometimes against the staff’s views.
Staff under pressure
The discontent affects all personnel: caregivers, nurses, doctors, orderlies, and managers. “We cry, we panic, we are declared in burnout,” testifies Stéphane Gauberti, CGT general secretary. According to him, the management “is authoritarian, with work pressures,” confirming the complaints filed for harassment by some employees.
Mickael Queralh, from CFDT Santé-Sociaux 06, highlights the impact of these reorganizations: “the real aim is to dismantle the hospital, make people leave and reduce staff.” He also points out the management’s lack of listening: “it’s a leadership that pretends to listen but does not and dehumanizes the staff.”
Political support for the staff
Political representatives have come to support the staff. Julien Picot, departmental secretary of PCF06 and number 2 on the “Unis pour Nice” list, explains: “we support the hospital employees. There is a need for well-paid staff, decent working conditions, and salary increases. Patients are at the forefront and must be treated correctly.”
Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux, head of the “Unis pour Nice” list, adds: “when working conditions are bad, patients will be poorly cared for. The hospital is part of the mayor’s responsibility, who is also the president of the hospital board. That’s why I am here today and why I am running in the municipal elections.”
The Nice University Hospital also faces financial difficulties. The establishment is the third most indebted university hospital in France, with around 300 million euros in deficit. The restructuring aims officially to improve efficiency and reduce costs, but the unions denounce the method as too harsh.
Stéphane Gauberti believes that this policy risks further deteriorating working conditions: “cutting the workforce will not bring us back to balance. We need staff to operate the services and properly welcome patients.”
The demands
The staff is demanding the withdrawal of the reorganization project and the opening of transparent negotiations with the management. The unions specify that the strike was organized in a way not to endanger the patients, with sensitive sectors maintained and schedules adjusted to allow employees to join the gathering.
The union representatives warn that if their demands are not met, further mobilizations will occur. According to Stéphane Gauberti, “if tomorrow we do not obtain the commitment from the management, we will come twice as numerous and will press for the employees to be respected.”
