Sunday, May 31, 2015

The Red Cross pinned for unpaid overtime – Liberation

“Unfortunately, the urgency does not prevent.” “In any case there will be prejudicial to employees who perform considerable work every day.” Management Cross -Red trying to get out of the bread soup: a report from the labor inspectorate, published Sunday in Le Parisien , the association accused of not respecting the labor code, including not pay overtime to employees. These offenses could cost up to 11 million euros to the Red Cross, of which 2.8 million fine … Some employees have long employed, found a bit exaggerated sanction.



What says labor inspection?

This is Eric Laurent, CGC union delegate (frames), which alerted the labor inspection in late February. “I was questioning the direction for sixteen months unpaid overtime. Each time, the response was “yes, yes, we will take care” . And then, nothing. After a moment, I considered it my duty to alert the administrative authority. “

Labour inspection turns up as dry, will tell -it. A month later, a delegation was at the association’s headquarters, where 480 employees work today, the vast majority of executives. The control is not rocket science: as in many companies, the Red Cross has set up in 1999, when trading on the 35 hours, a card entry system. Employees arriving and departing point. “It was negotiated precisely to ensure that the reduction of working time is well respected,” says Eric Lawrence, employee of the association since 1979.

He falls High discovering the conclusions of the inspection. “I alerted only on unpaid overtime and ultimately, they found four types of offenses,” exclaims -he, listing: 3345 offenses for exceeding the legal duration of working time over a day (fixed at 10 hours), 291 for exceeding the weekly maximum duration (48 hours), 129 deprivation of minimum rest between two working days (11 hours) …

Why does this information out today?

The inspection issued its report on 31 March. “We had made a statement at the time, but it has hardly been taken, Eric Laurent notes . All journalists call me today, after this article the Parisian, in which are also mentioned financial difficulties and the likely departure of general manager … But that story, I don ‘ there was nothing, I was not aware this seems to be a settlement of the account. “ It also receives phone calls from employees colleagues at headquarters. ” They are relatively satisfied that Things are finally saying “, he said. Although some consider that this story is going too far.

As this employee, joined by Libération but preferring to remain anonymous. “Should not exaggerate, we work a lot, c ‘True, but it is organized as you like for schedules. So, yes, sometimes, when you have an emergency, we work a little more, but it seems normal, especially when working in an association! “ According to him, this story is indicative of changing attitudes “The longer it goes, the more there is a corporate mentality. We lose the associative side, where it was considered normal to work more when someone knocks on the street door. Or when it happens as a humanitarian catastrophe in Nepal. It is lost … “

What meets the Red Cross?

” On the issue of overtime, this is a situation which the French Red Cross is unfortunately confronted for many years, “ indicates the direction in a press release. This situation is related to the very identity of the Red Cross and its mission: saving lives “ Philippe Cafiero, director of human resources adds.” we need to succeed to reconcile our humanitarian duty and respect of labor law. We are working on it. “

For the trade unionist Eric Laurent, the answer is a bit easier. The problem, he said, comes mostly from poor organization internally, with recurrent last minute requests and sometimes unnecessary work required. But he tempers, management is not the only culprit. “The Ministry of Health also has its share of responsibility, since we are obliged to have their agreement to increase wages … If management can not pay the overtime, it is also their fault. “

Another explanation suggested by an employee association has grown tremendously, and has diversified greatly with today some 600 institutions of all kinds (emergency food aid, insertion, kindergartens, institutions for disabled persons …), 18 000 employees in all and 56,000 volunteers. “It certainly does too much, you lose it,” concludes an employee.

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