Almost a week after the arrival of the national mediator, negotiations have not yet begun in Martinique with the joint unions, opposing the health permit and the commitment to vaccination against Covid-19
On November 1, the national mediator, Danielle Toplier, arrived in Martinique, commissioned by the government, to find a way out of the crisis in the ongoing conflict in the CHU. Since October 11, unions have opposed the application of the health permit and the obligation to vaccinate in a region where mistrust of the vaccine is particularly prevalent.
The mediation, which is requested by the hospital administration and the unions, was scheduled to start in principle last Wednesday.
The eight consortiums that make up the inter-confederations (UGTM, CGTM, USAM, CDMT, FO, CONVERGENCE INFIRMIERE 972, UNSSF and SPPM) refute in particular the place of negotiation created by the mediation and located in the direction of work and the choice of two professionals who support Danielle Toplier in its mission : Emmanuel Gordian, virologist at Avisin Hospital, and Leander Boroy, director of labor for the province of Martinique.
“However, their presence during our work is not an insurmountable difficulty or sticking point, as long as they refrain from interfering with the regulation of mediation,” notes Anna Georg Emmanuel Germany, a lawyer for the Interdisciplinary Centre.
Avoid social conflict
In a letter to the Ministers of Health and Foreign Affairs, Me Germany challenges the government in a framework of mediation that, in his words, does not correspond to the current situation “neither in reality nor in law”. This last point was the subject of a meeting for more than three hours Saturday at the end of the day.
Toupillier’s letter of engagement limits his mandate to the CHU. But unions consider the struggle over the vaccination obligation and health card to go well beyond the public establishment, including also liberal nurses, physiotherapists or even firefighters.
“The mediator currently believes that it can only hold on to the CHU. However, the ministers responded to the intersyndicale’s request for mediation. We agreed to meet again once this point was resolved,” Mr. Germany said. “The ministers will not risk provoking a social conflict,” he said.