While the government is preparing to unveil new measures to curb the spread of the Omicron variant, the increase in sick leave due to Covid could harm many economic sectors of the country, especially in Gironde.
“It’s going to be very, very complicated. It’s hot” (Philippe Loiseau, CPME 33)
“There are the positive cases and the contact cases of these collaborators who are obliged to stop”, explains Philippe Loiseau, president of the Confederation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises of the Gironde. “There is a lack of personnel in all sectors. A supermarket without a cashier is no longer alive. We have already seen this week that there was a lack of train drivers. Without transport, we can have a blocked economy.”
At the TBM, “we have fears since we see the wave coming”
Within the Bordeaux-Métropole transport network which employs more than 2,800 agents, absenteeism is “sharply increasing” according to Jean-Christophe Colombo, central CFDT union delegate at TBM. “There are the positive cases, the contact cases, the colleagues who have childcare problems (…), we have our concerns for the start of the school year because, indeed, [les contaminations] are increasing exponentially. “
“We have a shortage of staff” (CFDT TBM)
TBM operator, Keolis indicates an absenteeism rate up 1.2 points over the last quarter of 2021 with “8 to 9% of the workforce affected each month”. Management recognizes a recent increase in the number of sick leaves “like everywhere in France” but ensures that this absenteeism has for the moment no impact on the circulation of trams and buses. “In the event of a sick driver, we call on the reservists”.
The wave of contamination is also having repercussions on air traffic. After “a positive rebound” between summer and spring, activity at Bordeaux-Mérignac airport “marked time again at the end of the year “, confirms Alain Anziani, the mayor of Mérignac and president of Bordeaux-Métropole.
“The situation in Gironde, like everywhere in France, is catastrophic”
One of the avenues considered by the government to avoid “a disorganization of the country” in January would include reducing the duration of isolation for contact cases from ten to seven days. “The rules will probably change” has already warned last week Olivier Véran, the Minister of Health who says he wants “Avoid any phenomenon of paralysis in the country”.
“If we gain a few days, it’s already magnificent” (CPME 33)
“On paper it’s wonderful, but I’m not like all the people who call themselves a scientist, I’m not a doctor so I don’t know if it’s doable without making the situation worse”, explains Philippe Loiseau, president of the CPME de la Gironde. “We have had businesses on a razor’s edge for two years, we are on a tightrope walk so we must do everything to avoid falling on the other side.”
“We already have between 40 and 55% of cancellations in the hotel and catering industry” (Umih 33)
President of the Gironde Hotel and Restaurant Trades Union, Franck Leboeuf is apprehensive about this month of January. “This period is already not necessarily huge in our funds, we think it will be a disaster.”
The only parade according to them to get out of the crisis, the presidents of Umih and CPME 33 call for vaccination “to all French citizens”, “to stop overcrowding hospitals”.