Reinstatement of suspended carers: it’s not won yet!
Imminent reinstatement of the suspended? Not so simple!
Since the announcement of 31 March, the French Minister of Health, François Braun, has been dodging far too many questions, and the uncertainties are piling up.
To enlighten us, the Syndicat Liberté Santé, at the forefront of the fight for the reinstatement of carers, has sent us this op-ed setting out the challenges ahead.
In its opinion of 30 March 2023, the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) recommended lifting the Covid vaccination obligation for carers, thus paving the way for the reinstatement of health professionals and related staff suspended since 15 September 2021.
However, while the Minister of Health François Braun has stated that he will follow this opinion and reinstate these professionals in the coming days or weeks, concerns remain about how their return to work will be implemented.
What, indeed, about their arrears of salary and seniority? What about their pension rights during these 19 months of suspension? What about compensation for these professionals, some of whom have lost everything? And what help will be given to them to enable them to return to work, when one is staying with family hundreds of kilometres from their workplace because they could no longer pay their rent, or another has had to sell their car to survive? And if there is compensation, will it come with conditions? Which ones?
Moreover, everything suggests that, as set out in the terms of law no. 1040-2021 of 5 August 2021, this reinstatement will take place under cover of a mere suspension of the Covid vaccination obligation by ministerial decree, which could therefore be reactivated overnight without first being submitted to Parliament.
Yet in our view – that of the Syndicat Liberté Santé, one of the few unions to have supported the professionals suspended since September 2021 legally, psychologically and financially – this vaccination does not meet the criteria set out by the Haut Conseil de la Santé for it to be made or kept compulsory. Why, then, keep the possibility of imposing it again?
Furthermore, while in our op-ed of 6 April 2023 we insist on the need to repeal (and not merely suspend) the vaccination obligation, we also demand that the law of 5 August 2021 be repealed.
Indeed, this unprecedented and discriminatory law, a legal UFO riddled with health inconsistencies (professionals not vaccinated against Covid cannot hold teleconsultations or have themselves replaced by a vaccinated colleague, …) and with disastrous consequences, has created an unprecedented suspension status: neither in work, nor dismissed, nor unemployed, with no possibility of taking another job (when the employment contract has not been terminated) or of training for a career change, these workers, who are not entitled to any allowance or social assistance, have been without income for 19 months and owe their survival solely to the solidarity of their fellow citizens!
For all these reasons, our union demands the immediate and compensated rehabilitation, without conditions, of the professionals who have been suspended or banned from practising, and asks to be received at the negotiating table before their reinstatement, so as to work together with the decision-making bodies on the fairest reinstatement arrangements.
Syndicat Liberté Santé
Nos actions – Syndicat Liberté Santé
https://tribune2abrogation.pjsls.org
https://argumentairehas2.pjsls.org
https://dossierdiscrimination.pjsls.org
https://ethiquereintegrationsls1.pjsls.org
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of BAM!
Standfirst and illustration by BAM!
Photo source: ©Fbee
