Municipal police want to go on strike during the Olympics

The organizers of this year's edition of the Olympic Games are facing problems even where they least expected. Seven municipal police unions have announced they will file a strike notice in France between July 14 and August 15, during the Olympic Games, and "collective or individual actions" during the passing of the Olympic flame to defend their demands, especially for wages. During the passage of the Olympic flame, which arrived yesterday in French territory in Marseille (south) before crossing the country for two and a half months, other "national and monthly strike notices" will be submitted for "collective or individual action" , indicated the seven signatories. The collective believes that the government "continues to pretend that it doesn't understand". "He hears us, but he doesn't listen to us!", said the collective. "It is scandalous that some municipal police officers retire at 64 with a pension below the poverty line," the signatories wrote. "It is excluded that during the Olympic Games, the municipal policemen, considered by the public authorities as simple municipal employees, compensate for the lack of agents of the state forces or fulfill their daily missions", they warned. Paris City Hall, which is struggling to recruit people for its municipal police, is now counting on 2,000 agents for the Olympics (July 26 to August 11), instead of the 5,000 agents promised in 2020 by Socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo. For the Olympic flame relay in Paris (July 14-15, then July 26), the Ministry of the Interior foresees an effective force of 18,000 people, including 1,600 policemen and gendarmes. On July 26, 45,000 policemen and gendarmes must ensure the security of the opening ceremony on the Seine. The garbage men's union in Paris has filed a strike notice for almost the entire summer, including the Games period, in order to obtain a wage increase.