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Beyond the content of this opposition between the Prefect and the Firefighters’ Union, what stands out in the analysis is the difference in behavior between the two parties involved.
On one side, there’s the legitimate or obligatory (according to the Prefect) recourse to an independent body (the Administrative Tribunal) that will need to decide on the reasons on one side and the duties on the other. On the other side, there’s the dogged demand from those who believe that reason can only lie with them.
Unfortunately, corporatism is well-rooted in the social fabric. We might invoke the general interest: We all agree, as long as it aligns with our interests. Not to mention the inextricable ties to the world of politics, which, in this case, are more than evident.
So, why be surprised if a unionist declares (even figuratively) “war” on the representative of the State?
And then, ultimately, is it such a grave “injury” to await the arbitration of the administrative judge (who exists precisely for these cases) to find out if we are right or wrong?
To recall the facts, at the call of the Autonomous Federation of Firefighters, between 200 and 300 firefighters marched yesterday in the west of Nice, blocking traffic on the Dรฉpartementale 6007 towards the administrative center.
The protest stems from the Prefecture’s recourse to the Administrative Tribunal, which the law holds responsible for the legality of administrative acts, after the Board of Directors of the SDIS reduced the firefighters’ working hours. The prefect, for his part, believes that this decision leads to the legal working time (1,607 hours) not being respected.
The dispute arises from the different assessment of the duty days and the 24-hour period, where 8 hours are considered work and 16 are not counted. These latter hours should not be counted as worked, but according to the prefecture, an equivalence ratio must be found.
The position of the category union is naturally opposed: “If the prefect seeks us, he will find us. It’s war,” declares Andrรฉ Goretti, president of the autonomous federation of firefighters, in flamboyant language.
The Prefect, in a statement issued after receiving a delegation of protesters, sought to stigmatize their attitude: “I have not declared war and there is no political fight, nor any political-strategical approach.”
The unions’ request for the Prefect to withdraw the appeal was refused.
In a tweet, the president of the General Council and head of SDIS 06, Eric Ciotti, expressed his support for the firefighters “against the government’s policy towards them”.
Similarly, Christian Estrosi contacted the Minister of the Interior, Bernard Cazeneuve, by letter to alert him to this situation and asked the Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes to withdraw the appeal filed before the administrative court.
