A delegation of merchants was received Tuesday in Bercy to take stock of their situation during this period of strike. In Paris and the provinces, some traders deplore losses of turnover up to 50% and regret that compensation is slow to be paid.

INTERVIEW

The transport strike will begin Wednesday its seventh day, with traffic still "very disturbed". And for traders, the time is long, they sound the alarm. After yellow jackets last year, the strike again threatens the crucial Christmas period. "In Paris, some traders report a 30 to 50 percent drop in sales compared to last year, already a very difficult period," said Francis Palombi, president of the Confederation of Traders, which was received in Bercy Tuesday.

Freezing charges and prompt compensation

Among the requests made to the ministers Agnès Pannier-Runacher and Bruno Le Maire, the tradesmen demand a freeze of the social charges. "The postponement of charges is no longer sufficient because we are in a period when when the time comes to pay them, the situation has not always improved," says Francis Palombi. Moreover, he wants to see a review of "the collaboration between the administration and the traders in compensation matters". "Between traders who do not know how to apply for compensation and prefectures that do not process files quickly enough, this can bring dramatic situations for small businesses," alert Francis Palombi.

While the grievances of traders are largely related to the slowdown in their activity observed for a year, especially because of the demonstrations of yellow vests, they also made demands vis-à-vis the ongoing strike. "For traders located on the course of events, forced to close by prefectural order, it means days to zero euro turnover," laments the president of the Confederation of Traders.

No will to go to conflict

Finally, traders want the state to show good will by helping them at the end of the year. "We want the ministry to work with mayors, regions and parking companies like Vinci, so that, temporarily, the car parks are free in the city centers, so that small traders enjoy the same benefits as shopping centers" says Francis Palombi. "It would also be a great communication campaign to encourage the French to do their Christmas shopping in small shops."

All of these claims were presented to the ministers who will be responding on Wednesday. "We were listened to a lot, that's good because we do not want to go to the front with the government," says Francis Palombi. "Speech is one thing, but now we are waiting for strong action."