Traffic will resume normally on the Tadao network this Friday, February 4, 2022, in Béthune, Lens, Bruay and Hénin-Beaumont. Bus drivers suspended their right of withdrawal exercised on Thursday. They have obtained, from the management, guarantees additional staff to ensure safety on board Tadao buses.
After the stabbing of one of their own, Wednesday in Avion, the unions of the 340 drivers have alerted to the need for resources in front of “physical attacks, incivilities that were rising and becoming commonplace”regretted Wednesday François Doye, Unsa union representative at Tadao.
Three appointments and three hires
They were received by the sub-prefect of Lens and the sub-prefect of Béthune on Thursday afternoon. “They guaranteed us an increased presence of law enforcement at strategic points, such as the Avion station“, explains Marc Clément, CFDT representative and driver for 35 years.
Then, a meeting was held with management and the joint transport union. Management has agreed to the hiring of three temporary workers on permanent contracts and the recruitment of three new temporary workers to ensure safety.
“It’s already a step forward. agreed Marc Clément. This will help reassure our colleagues who return to work and who will see more presence in the field.“
reassuring news
The dialog was “open and productive“, according to the unions, with the management. Jean-Christophe Géhin, the director of Tadao, had recognized that after this tragedy “the question of means arises and we must think about how to improve the situation“. He had also indicated that “many things had already been done, with on-board video surveillance, increasing numbers of field agents, partnerships with the police“.
The assaulted driver is better this Thursday. His vital prognosis is not engaged, he was operated on but is in stable condition. Her attacker is still at large. The Béthune public prosecutor’s office, which has opened an investigation, did not want to communicate on this case on Thursday.