Johanny Berthet promotes trade union work at the Tour de France.
Photo: Tom Mustroph
France would not be France if there were no traces of revolutionary spirit even in highly commercial organizations. For example in the long caravan of the Tour de France. This is known for the fact that global corporations bring small gifts to the people there – something to snack, more or less elegant headgear, gossip, the ballpoint pen labeled with advertising and much more.
Representatives of the union also frolic in the middle of it Worker. “We are even one of the oldest participants in the caravan, now for 75 years,” says Johanny Berthet “ND”. He is organized as a union member in the department of judicial employees. This industry is still quite union loyalty. “If you pull off the judges, then about a third of all employees in the judiciary in our union,” he emphasizes.
Tom on tour
Photo: private
Tom Mustroph, Cycling author and doping expert has accompanied this sport for “ND” for more than 20 years.
On the tour, Berthet and his fellow teams also distribute small giveaways, but also leaflets and magazines who present their work. “This is particularly important for the young generation. They often don’t even know what unions can do, ”says Berthet. And even very practical work does the trade unionists here. »We advise people from other companies when it comes to their employment contracts. They often go home with only 1600 euros, from which you cannot live. With our help, some employment contracts have already been renegotiated, in favor of the employees, «says Berthet proudly. You have to defend yourself!
Important fights in France of our day concern the resistance to the pension reform. “At the moment you can retire at the age of 64. But the retirement age should be increased gradually. And that doesn’t work if you imagine that some have already started working at 16 or 18, «explains Berthet. His grandfather was still able to retire at the age of 60, but died at 61. »He had only a year without work; It is a joke, a sad joke, «he says.
The Tour de France platform is a good vehicle to draw attention to your own concerns. The long presence of the union in the Tourkarawane has one advantage: »Because we are among the oldest participants, we also pay relatively little for our vehicles here. The others are a bit jealous, «says Berthet. So unions are still making globally operating corporations.
It was a little irritating that the union’s status at the Grand Depart in Lille stood in addition to a advertising legion. There, a man with a Slavic accent, who introduced himself as a Russian native speaker, vied, especially about the attention of young men. “Yes, some are already interested. After all, we are in use all over the world. It’s already attractive, ”he explains» ND «. There are no union activities in the Foreign Legion. “We just can’t come in there,” said Berthet with a view of the neighboring stand. In France, the tour also has quite a few contradictions.