A large trade union delegation gathered on Monday morning as a common front around 9 a.m. in Droixhe (Liège) to denounce the will of the management of the non-profit organization “Revivre chez soi”, which offers a support service for people with reduced mobility, to part with 17 people for financial reasons. The unions explain that they have been put on the fait accompli.
They were about fifty, staff members, union representatives but also recipients of care, to express their incomprehension, not far from the premises of the structure.
“At the end of last week, a large part of the workers were contacted directly by the coordinator who told them that he was obliged to end services and that this involved 17 people, or roughly a third of the staff” , pointed out Julien Dohet, permanent secretary for Setca.
The subsidies given by Aviq, the Walloon Agency for a Quality Life, would prove to be insufficient. “Normally, this is anticipated and it is a legal obligation to summon the trade unions to warn that there is a problem and thus propose solutions to avoid layoffs,” added the Setca representative.
“One could have imagined that the employer would respect the sectoral collective agreement. The news was delivered directly to the workers. We were more than surprised, ”regrets Fabrice Jardon, CGSLB permanent secretary.
It is the mobile team, daily life assistance, which is directly affected by this announcement. “These assistants travel to the homes of beneficiaries with disabilities to supervise them. The financing of the Aviq is only planned up to 500 meters from the registered office of the ASBL. There is an approval for the ASBL but not sufficient funding to be able to keep the staff. In any case, this is what was communicated to us, ”said Fabrice Jardon.
A meeting was scheduled with the management in the morning. Through this mobilization, the unions also hope to have challenged the subsidizing power.