The unions SUPAP-FSU and CFDT are calling for a strike among the school activity leaders and ASEM in Parisian schools next week, from November 13th to 17th. Demanding “massive recruitment of permanent staff,” “contractualization of substitute teachers,” and “personnel dedicated and trained for the personal hygiene of children in nursery school,” the demands are numerous. These demands are being partially supported by the Changer Paris group (right) and the communists in the upcoming Paris Council, with the latter including almost all of the proposals from the two unions in their motion.
After an initial strike in October led by the Unsa union, the school activity leaders plan to go on strike again next week during the week of November 13th. They are demanding “additional massive recruitment of permanent staff,” “contractualization of substitute teachers,” “meeting times,” “personnel dedicated and trained for the personal hygiene of children in nursery school,” as well as an increase in pay. These demands are partly supported by the Changer Paris group and the communists, who want to increase the number of positions available in the exams and ensure that the supervision ratio is respected.
The communists also want to offer a bonus to address the issue of attracting new activity leaders, and pointed out that only 45% of the leaders are trained in the necessary qualifications. The right-wing group has proposed three motions, one of which requests funding for the first theoretical stage of the Bafa in exchange for a commitment of five years as an activity leader in the City of Paris. Another motion calls for the activities to be grouped into a three-hour time slot, allowing for better quality workshops and for families to leave earlier for weekend trips.
The previous strike did not have a strong impact, with only about 20 schools out of 631 declaring a strike, mostly in the 9th and 14th arrondissements. However, this time the unions are expecting a larger mobilization, with hundreds of services expecting to be closed. The strike also concerns the ASEM, who are responsible for welcoming and assisting children in activities throughout the day. They are demanding one ASEM per class in all nursery schools and a bonus equivalent to that of the activity leaders for those who work during extracurricular activities. The situation is being closely monitored, with a gathering planned for Tuesday at the city hall and a general assembly on Thursday to decide on the continuation or conclusion of the strike, depending on the city’s response.
