MARIGOT:--- This morning, Monday, December 23, seven agents primarily responsible for water production have begun an unlimited strike led by the UGTG Guadeloupe. This strike threatens to cause significant disruptions to the water supply in Saint Martin, particularly during this holiday season and peak tourist period.
The agents' demands remain unclear and contradictory. While the platform submitted with the strike notice raised points already addressed by existing protocols, the negotiations held on December 19 and 20 focused solely on the payment for strike days from May. Additionally, the Saint Martin agents are demanding a "seniority bonus," which has already been incorporated into their salaries as per an amendment to their contracts signed in 2018.
The blockade of the Galisbay site by these seven agents is causing serious issues, preventing access to vehicles of the Collectivity's services and obstructing the storage of necessary parts to repair the water and wastewater distribution networks. As a result, non-striking colleagues are unable to fulfill their public service duties.
Furthermore, the water production plant is currently shut down, and the reservoirs are filled to 90% of their capacity. However, without the immediate restart of the sole local production facility, the reservoirs are at risk of being placed in safety mode as early as tomorrow morning (December 24), which could lead to water outages and, eventually, a total lack of water supply in certain areas.
The Management strongly condemns this hostage-taking of public services and the Saint Martin population, particularly during this holiday season and during a peak tourist period. We are taking all necessary measures to address this situation, which does not reflect the values of our Group.
We will keep you updated on the evolution of the situation and the steps being taken to ensure the continuity of public services in the coming hours.
Mélissa NICOLAS
Responsable de Territoire
SAUR Saint-Martin
