Paris (AFP)
The Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire affirmed Monday that the health security of the employees vis-a-vis the pandemic of Covid-19 was "the absolute priority", saying "understand perfectly" that the truckers claim additional means of protection.
"The absolute priority is the health security of employees. It is not negotiable (...) and that leads to operating in many sectors with reduced activities, reduced staff," he said. on BFMTV, referring in particular to the reduction in the working time of letter carriers.
"We must guarantee the economic continuity of the country (...) but that cannot be done to the detriment of the health security of the employees", he insisted.
The road transport unions CFDT, FO and CFTC called on truckers to exercise their right of withdrawal "individually" from Monday in the event of "breaches" of protective measures against Covid-19.
"I fully understand that the truckers demand to have the necessary sanitary protections: this has always been the constant line that we have adopted", commented Bruno Le Maire on BFMTV, mentioning the "requisitions" of hotels to accommodate them and the opening of restaurants for them.
"If there is better to be done on the health protection of truckers, we will do better, and we must do better (...) They must also be properly received in factories, the companies they deliver" , he said, confident that he had "had too many lifts from drivers" saying that he was badly received in stores.
In addition, the death due to Covid-19, last week, of an employee of a Carrefour supermarket "is a shock for all the large distribution, a shock for all those who continue to work" in the stores, reacted Mr. Le Maire, deeming "absolutely essential" their activity.
The minister added that his "responsibility" was to "guarantee them (total) health security", in particular via discussions with the large distribution on the Plexiglas plate equipment of the cases or their stocks of hydroalcoholic gel.
The bonus of one thousand euros which these employees could benefit from is "no longer conditional" on a profit-sharing agreement and can be paid "without charges on it, up to 1,000 euros", specified Mr. Le Maire, saying he was "open "that this amount be raised.
Regarding the distribution of newspapers, whose continuity is compromised, the minister said he was "quite ready (...) to see if we can improve things", while recalling that the Post guarantees above all its "essential services" such as home delivery of meals or payment of social benefits.
© 2020 AFP