Medef asks that “we put in place partial unemployment schemes” for affected companies

“The State must restore public order and then we will have to support these businesses”, supports Patrick Martin, the president of Medef, Tuesday May 21 on France Inter. He asks the government to take strong action for businesses affected by the riots in New Caledonia.

“We will have to put in place partial unemployment schemes” And “that devices comparable to those of natural disasters be activated”. Regarding partial unemployment, “it existed in other circumstances”, he recalls. An allusion to the Covid-19 crisis. “The insurers are doing their job. They are already on file. We will have to speed up the procedures”, he adds. Since the start of the riots, around 400 businesses and businesses have suffered damage in Nouméa and surrounding towns, according to the public prosecutor.

Is there a risk that the riots will harm investments in the archipelago? “It’s possible, especially when it comes to nickel”replies Patrick Martin. “We all know that New Caledonia holds 20 to 30% of the world’s nickel reserves, and that to date these reserves are not exploited in the best conditions.” he recalls.

For him, “we must be very careful that in terms of strategic autonomy, sovereignty but also the prosperity of the territory, we do not lose interest in the nickel” neither “generally speaking, economic activity in New Caledonia”.