Paris (AFP)

The call of road transport unions to stop working for lack of adequate health guarantees in the face of the Covid-19 epidemic was not widely followed on Monday, according to employers' organizations, for whom these concerns are legitimate.

The CFDT, FO and CFTC road transport unions called on drivers to exercise their right of withdrawal "individually" from Monday in the event of "breaches" of health protection measures against the epidemic.

"We have no more lifts than that on walkouts or withdrawals of activity for the moment," said AFP a spokesperson for the National Federation of Road Transport (FNTR), who does not see any warning signs on the supply chain yet.

"It's anecdotal," added Alexis Degouy, the general delegate of the Union of Transport and Logistics Companies of France (Union TLF).

"On companies employing 60,000 people, we are talking about less than a dozen cases," he said.

"It does not mean that we do not take into account the concerns" of the drivers. "These are real concerns that employees are expressing," said Degouy.

The three unions are calling for the cessation of non-essential transport, the stop at the borders of international transport - with transhipment of trailers -, the requisitioning of rest areas, petrol stations, restaurants and road centers and the same protection as emergency workers for medical transport.

They denounce the lack of masks, gloves and hydroalcoholic gel, a lack of accessible toilets and showers, their lack of maintenance when they are open, insufficient catering services and "customers who do not respect fair drivers measured".

"We are told that we are essential, but we are sent to coal and we are left to die," Patrice Clos, the secretary general of FO Transports, told AFP.

The government had promised many things, but "apart from the opening of the car parks, there is no improvement", in particular concerning the open and clean toilets or the restoration, he denounced.

- Shortage of masks -

"There is a whole range of things that have not been put in place after 14 days," added Thierry Douine, Federal President CFTC Transports, who noted in particular that "the protective equipment does not arrive".

"It is not normal to put hundreds of thousands of workers at work in these conditions!", He added.

"It is the entire transport chain that must be protected, otherwise we will not be able to go to the end of the confinement," he warned.

Kamal El Jaouhari, spokesperson for the federal union FGTE / CFDT cited on BFMTV the example of Spain where the highways were requisitioned and where 600 points of personal protective equipment were put in place for the truckers.

"This is a good example today, and I think we are able to do it in France," he noted.

"There are companies playing the game, but other companies are lagging behind" in terms of employee protection, he noted, saying that "it was necessary today to provide means for these employees and stop at least 15 days all non-essential logistical activities ".

Professionals are in regular contact with the Directorate General for Infrastructure, Transport and the Sea (DGITM). A meeting was also scheduled for Monday evening with the unions to develop a "guide to good practices" for protecting employees.

While the Minister of Labor Muriel Pénicaud recalled Sunday - citing the example of truck drivers - that employers were "responsible" with regard to the establishment "of protections" necessary for their employees against the coronavirus, Alexis Degouy admits relative helplessness.

"A very important point is the question of masks. All the drivers would like them right away," noted the general delegate of the Union-TLF. "But we do not have the means (...) We are not the only ones to claim it," he regretted.

Mr. Degouy estimates that absenteeism rates in the profession are "relatively bearable", "around 15%".

The transport-logistics sector employs around 750,000 people in France. According to FO reports, it has 1,500 infected and has recorded five deaths.

© 2020 AFP