“The law of the Republic here must apply, this violence and these assassination attempts are unacceptable.” The meeting between the Minister of Overseas, Sébastien Lecornu, and the inter-union in Guadeloupe, in Pointe-à-Pitre Monday, November 29, lasted ten minutes, according to the reporter from the political service of France Televisions on the spot. And did not lead to anything conclusive, both parties sticking to their position. Four representatives of trade union groups were present. The purpose of this meeting was to“discussing health claims” at the origin of the dispute on the island.
#Guadeloupe / @SebLecornu on @franceinfo
️ The trade unionists “must clearly condemn the violence” asks the Minister to start any discussion.
He evokes demonstrators who demand “sexual favors” on roadblocks in Martinique to be able to pass pic.twitter.com/n9AxW2AowL
– Jean-Baptiste Marteau (@jbmarteau) November 29, 2021
“The trade union groups do not want to condemn assassination attempts against the police and the gendarmes. They believe that it is the State which is at the source of this violence, by definition it does not help to have a discussion which be clear “, declared Sébastien Lecornu to the France Télévisions teams following his trip. The minister also mentioned the arrest on dams in Martinique of individuals “because they asked for sexual favors”. He calls on unions to “clearly condemn the violence” and made sure he was available for discussions. “I’m here, but in the right order”, he warned.
On the union side, the delegation of four people including UGTG and FO believes that “in contrary” that Sébastien Lecornu “try to make believe, he did not come to negotiate, but because he was forced by the balance of power that we have installed”.
Maïté Hubert-M’Toumo, from the UGTG, recalled their demands “priority” like “the end of the suspensions of personnel and liberal professions” unvaccinated, the “suspension of convictions of people for violence”, and one “emergency plan for the qualification of young people and the working conditions of Guadeloupe families”. “You can’t negotiate in 24 hours. (Lecornu) it’s the father who came to scold his son, came to give a lesson, but the lesson will not pass”, Jocelyn Zou of FO firefighters told the press.