The sanitary rules to be respected by the construction industry in the face of the coronavirus have been validated by the government and will be disseminated to companies, indicated on Thursday the sector federations, despite union opposition. This step is essential to the resumption of construction sites.
"This guide, validated by the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Solidarity and Health, will be distributed to all companies of all sizes in building and public works," said four federations in the sector in a joint statement.
Joint press release of professional construction organizations pic.twitter.com/iqixWcrTkZ
- Jacques CHANUT (@chanutj) April 2, 2020“Special attention” to “the most vulnerable employees”
The document "details the satisfactory health conditions and the specific procedures to be adopted to guarantee the health and safety of employees and employers," said these federations.
The organizations "recommend to companies that apprentices do not intervene on construction sites and workshops" and "special attention" to "the most vulnerable employees and especially those with long-term affection".
80% of worksites stopped
The construction companies entered into open conflict with the government in mid-March, when the confinement period came into effect. They considered it untenable to take over the construction sites when the government saw it as an essential activity for the economy.
A beginning of agreement had been found ten days ago, in particular subjecting the resumption of activity to the rapid preparation of a guide to good health practices. However, it was long overdue and, at the start of the week, more than 80% of the sites were still stopped.
In any case, it is always the company that will ultimately have the decision to resume its activity or to turn to partial unemployment financed by the state.
The CGT considers this guide "unusable"
The published rules, on the other hand, did not satisfy the unions, including the CGT, the first organization in the sector. The guide "does not deal only with emergency works, but we oppose a resumption of total activity," said AFP Bruno Bothua, secretary general of CGT-Construction.
"The building is not a priority for [receiving] protective equipment", which healthcare workers are already lacking, he added, deeming this guide "unusable". "Who will disinfect the toilets on construction sites? ”, A measure however prescribed by the guide, wonders in particular Bruno Bothua.
"We need these activities," insists the government
For its part, even before the dissemination of these health rules, the government again insisted on Thursday on the need to resume certain projects.
"We need these activities, especially for the maintenance of our networks, our nuclear power stations, our wind turbines," said Elisabeth Borne, Minister for the Ecological Transition, during a dematerialized hearing in the Senate.
"We are on activities which are very important", evoking for example interrupted rail and road axes which require repairs, she concluded.
Paris
Coronavirus in Paris: On pause, real estate does not know what awaits it
Economy
How does the technical unemployment procedure work?
- Coronavirus
- Construction site
- Economy
- Health
- Construction