It will finally be “only” from June 15 to September 15, 2024. The deputies voted, Thursday, March 23 in the evening, the article of the bill relating to the Olympic and Paralympic Games establishing the possibility of derogating from Sunday rest at the occasion of the Games. But they have reduced to three months the period during which it will be possible for food businesses, clothing, electronics, or even hairdressers to derogate from Sunday rest.
The government, considering that this possibility is justified by the “exceptional needs that will result from the holding of the Games”, wanted to implement a derogation over a period of four months, extending from 1is June to September 30, 2024. Knowing that the Olympic Games will start on July 26, with the Paralympic Games ending on September 8.
The one-month reduction of the derogatory period was proposed through an amendment by elected Communists and the rapporteur for the Social Affairs Committee, Christine Le Nabour (Renaissance). The Minister of Sports and JOP, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra has given the green light.
This derogation will apply on one condition: to be in the municipalities where the competition sites of the Olympic and Paralympic Games are located (which will take place at the end of July and then at the end of August 2024), or in the municipalities bordering or near these sites. The employees concerned “must be voluntary and will benefit from compensation”recalls text.
“Half of Sundays can be worked. It is considerable”
The elected representatives of the left sought, without success, to delete this article, the communist Stéphane Peu evoking in particular “abusive derogations (…) without even consulting the social charter committee”. “If we add all the possible exemptions to the twelve Sundays that may be authorized by the mayors, it is half of the Sundays that can be worked. It is considerable”lamented the MP, while emphasizing that volunteering is “a debatable concept to say the least”.
“The Olympics are a chance for businesses to improve their turnover, following two years marked by the covid crisis”replied Christine Le Nabour to justify this provision, adding that the Games are also “a chance for employees to see their purchasing power increase in a difficult economic context”. “With some exceptions, most employees work on Sundays because they are asked to and they have no choice! »retorted Léo Walter (La France insoumise).
In committee, the deputies had also modified the paragraph of the article on these Sunday exemptions defining the terms of their authorization: it will be up to the prefect to issue an individual authorization following a request from a business, then, in a second step , to decide on an extension of this authorization to several businesses carrying out the same activity in the same municipality.
When they voted on the bill at the end of January, the senators allowed the prefect to immediately issue collective authorizations for several establishments.
The National Assembly had previously voted on the other articles contained in this bill “relating to the Olympic Games and containing various other provisions”, whether it concerns the creation of a health center in the Olympic village, the implementation of genetic tests or even experimentation with algorithmic video surveillance or the strengthening of penalties for illicit intrusions into stadiums.
The bill will be submitted to the solemn vote of the deputies on Tuesday, March 28.
