A mobilization day is scheduled for Thursday, October 6 in the early childhood and childhood sector. The CFDT and the collective 'Pas de bébé à la consigne' are calling on professionals in nurseries and after-school care to strike to make their demands heard.

A new strike movement is planned this Thursday, October 6 in France, in the sector of early childhood and childhood. The call was launched by the Interco CFDT federation and the collective 'Pas de bébé à la consigne', 'for an urgent consideration of the situation of public services', can we read in the Press release . For this day, The Ensemble of Agents of Public Services for Children , in nurseries, schools and after-school care facilities, are called upon to mobilize. The demands echo those defended during the strike of September 29, in particular against the reform project which authorizes the recruitment of non-qualified staff. 'The school, extracurricular and EAJE sectors (care establishment for young children, editor's note) are sick. They lack resources and qualified professionals', denounces the CFDT. Other unions also joined the movement, including the CGT and the FNAS FO. At the end of September, the FNAS FO defended the cause of ALISFA (Social and Family Link Actors) employees, who also faced these same issues. For this strike of October 6, the FNAS FO asks in particular in its communicated :

• 'Financing of qualified staff positions commensurate with needs'
• 'The end of the reception of excess children'
• 'A quality of welcome guaranteed by 1 professional for 5 children'
• '50/50 supervision ratios, excluding apprentices'
• 'An ambitious employee training plan'
• 'The massive opening of places in initial training'

What should we expect for the strike day of October 6?

For now, it is still difficult to predict the extent of the mobilization. On the other hand, several events are already planned. To Nice , the CGT departmental union of the Alpes Maritimes announces that the nurseries of the city will be on strike this Thursday, October 6th. A meeting point is organized place Garibaldi, from 9:30 am. Another gathering of early childhood professionals and Atsem will also take place at Clermont-Ferrand , from 10 a.m. in front of the prefecture. In the Grand Est, in Metz, many disturbances are to be expected this Thursday. Most school canteens, in 66 schools, will be closed. 'The morning extracurricular will also be impacted', in more than dozens of establishments. Likewise, in the evening, ' homework help will not be provided' at Metz , reports France Blue Lorraine . At Havre also, 11 municipal nurseries out of 17 will be closed, reveals the site Paris Normandy.

Furthermore, in its press release, the Interco CFDT federation reveals that manifestations , of the petitions and open letters to parents have been planned. As a reminder, during the general and national strike day of September 29, the mobilization was particularly strong in the preschool and in primary.

Is a reception service maintained in the schools?

In the event of a strike in schools and crèches, parents of pupils may legitimately wonder whether a reception service is maintained for their children. In schools, the answer is yes. According to a law adopted in 2008, schools must provide a minimum reception service on their premises for their students. 'A pupil in primary school (kindergarten or elementary) must be welcomed during class time, even if his teacher or mistress is absent. This reception service is free. It is provided differently at public schools and at private school under contract', indicates the site of the Public Service. Re, nurseries and after-school care, no provision is given by the government. Known instructions refer to 'school teachers'. The animators and the Atsem therefore do not seem to be taken into account. It is also possible that emails or messages will be sent to parents to inform them of service reductions. In any case, to know precisely what is in place, it is better to contact your town hall or the management of your child's school .

The Atsem on strike at the start of the school year

As a reminder, only a few days after the Back to School , the Atsem were already on strike on Monday, September 5, 2022, following the call launched by the CGT, Force Ouvrière and Unsa unions. These agents, mostly women (99%), essential to the proper functioning of nursery schools, demanded an increase in their wages and working conditions . In a press release published on Twitter , the CGT demanded important changes for the profession, namely:

• a 'immediate increase (of the) salaries of 183 euros net monthly'
• a ' reduction in working time to 32 hours per week'
• 'one Atsem per class at least throughout school time'
• a 'thawing and an immediate recovery of the value of the index point by at least 10%'
• the 'recognition of the arduousness of the job' and 'educational duties'
• of the 'immediate replacements in the event of understaffing'.

In France, currently, there are nearly 50,000 Atsem. Their role ? Accompany children from 3 to 6 years old on a daily basis in everything they do, whether it's taking them to the toilet, watching them at recess and in the canteen... to a average salary of 1,300 to 1,800 euros net depending on seniority , reported France Info . If their missions have evolved in recent years, this is unfortunately not the case with their status or their professional career. 'Very often, we see Atsem who are alone in charge of an entire class' composed of 25 very young children, said Delphine Depay, leader of the CGT Public Services to our colleagues. 'There are more and more Atsem who want to retrain because they are saturated, they are exhausted' , said another agent. Problems that we also find in the field of early childhood, hit hard by a shortage of qualified professionals. The Atsem, like other professionals in the sector, are determined to make a difference.

Source journaldesfemmes.fr