On December 23, seven SAUR employees, supported by the UGTG Guadeloupe union, began a sudden strike in response to demands they believe have gone unanswered. The result: a widespread water outage in the middle of the Christmas period and at the peak of the tourist season.
Attempts to restart the production plant initiated at the end of the day on the 23rd were unsuccessful due to the “disappearance” of programming boxes for the low-pressure variators specific to each unit. The closure of the plant and the total shutdown of water production and distribution were confirmed. After many discussions between the management of SAUR, the president of the Collectivité, the prefect and sub-prefect, the president of the CCISM and the strikers, the latter agreed to return a box to restart a fixed unit and supply the Marigot and Concordia sector, where the hospital and the EHPAD are located, as well as Morne Valois, Friar's Bay, Rambaud and Sandy Ground.
Press briefing on Thursday, December 26 at the prefecture
The Galisbay plant is partially operating thanks to this fixed unit and a mobile unit, with a capacity of 3300m3, or half of the production of 6500m3. The delegated prefect Vincent Berton called for reducing consumption via a prefectural decree limiting water to essential needs while remaining focused on restarting the other two units “as soon as possible”. To restore access to drinking water to a large part of the population who have been deprived of it since December 23, two solutions are emerging: restocking the stolen parts manufactured abroad or for the strikers to return those they stole. In the meantime… a water point is available at the Galisbay plant. The Community has for its part put its delegate SAUR on notice and is ordering the strikers to come to their senses for the health safety of subscribers.
Anger and incomprehension on social networks
For the past 5 days, testimonies on social networks have been multiplying, highlighting the devastating impact of this strike on tourism and the quality of life of the inhabitants: “These are simply thug methods, we must not confuse strike and sabotage”, “I will never come back to Saint-Martin, ruined vacation”, “Thank you to these people for ruining our family New Year's Eve”. Many complaints were filed yesterday at the gendarmerie, it will be up to the public prosecutor to determine whether there will be sanctions. At the same time, the petition “put our water back in service” was launched, collecting more than 950 signatures yesterday late afternoon. _VX
Shortened link to the petition: https://urlr.me/uEhC8M
https://faxinfo.fr/en/eau-greve-a-la-saur-des-methodes-de-voyous/
