electricians and gas workers cut off the power at the Paris 2024 Olympic Village site

North of Paris, electricians and gas workers cut power on Thursday March 9 around the Stade de France and on the site of the Olympic village, in order to protest against the pension reform. In a few minutes, “the action has deprived the Olympic village of energy, the district at the level of the commercial zone, the data centers and also the Stade de France”said Sébastien Ménesplier, secretary general of CGT-Energie.

An assertion partially invalidated by the distributor Enedis, according to which the current was not cut at the Stade de France itself, even if ” cuts “ affected the entire surrounding commercial and residential area, with just over 500 customers affected.

Illegal maneuver

“Faced with a government straight in its boots, we too are straight in our boots (…). I appeal to the responsibility of the government and the President of the Republic: withdraw your reform and the electricians and gas workers will resume work for the public service and the general interest.said Frédéric Probel, general secretary of the CGT-Energie Bagneux union.

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About 300 agents were present for this action, some of whom, wearing hoods, raised their arms and lit smoke bombs to protect those who cut off the power from view and camera lenses, this type of wild cut being illegal. The agents first interrupted the possibility for RTE to operate and monitor the substation remotely. Such a maneuver is worth four former agents of the manager of high and very high voltage lines to be prosecuted after being dismissed, hence the precautions taken to camouflage the action on Thursday.

“All dark in you”

Enedis reports to Agence France-Presse that power was restored immediately via remote maneuvers for most of them, technicians working on site to “replenish the last customers”. The company says it will file a complaint as always.

The action was voted on by a show of hands a few hours earlier by the agents, in the gymnasium where they were gathered, before singing a song that has been all the rage among energy agents since the start of the challenge to the project. which could delay their retirement by two years, but also eliminate their special regime: “Emmanuel Macron, if you continue, it will be all dark at home! »

“We decide together, I’m not behind each employee, they are angry, it’s a way to get out the anger, to make it clear that we are there”, explained Frédéric Probel, general secretary of the CGT-Energie Bagneux union. According to Mr. Ménesplier, targeted cuts have affected logistics platforms, shopping centers and manufacturers throughout France.

Read also: Strike against pension reform: for March 10, “strongly disturbed” traffic at SNCF, a “clear improvement” expected at RATP, except for commuter trains

The World with AFP