Could we be in the presence of the soap opera that will fuel the end of the year? While the mayor of Noyon and president of the Community of Communes of Noyonnais Countrythe LR Sandrine Dauchellewants to separate itself from the historical occupational medicine service of its agents, it encounters political resistance. A story that plays out – for now – in two acts. The first was played on Tuesday December 10 at the community of communes. The second, this Friday, December 13 in the evening, at the municipal council in Noyon.
In this first act, Sandrine Dauchelle proposed to community elected officials to validate on Tuesday an agreement for occupational medicine with Présoa, a Compiègne company. Community elected officials thus learned that the agreement which linked the SMIN (Inter-company medical service of Noyonnais), a Noyonnais company, had been denounced. Problem: community elected officials expressed their opposition and refused to sign with the Compiègne company. Consequently: without a new vote by the end of the year, agents in Pays Noyonnais will not have an occupational health service.
Présoa cheaper?
Thibault Delavenne, mayor of Guiscard, community and departmental advisor, was one of the most fervent opponents of signing with, and therefore with, the break with the SMIN. A few hours before a new vote on the subject, but this time in the town of Noyon, he wanted to repeat his arguments and doubts on the subject.
While the executive of the Pays Noyonnais estimated that Présoa would cost as much – or even less – than the SMIN in the Pays Noyonnais, Thibault Delavenne continues to disagree on this point: “We did, in particular with Pascal Dollé (former 1ᵉʳ vice-president, Editor’s note), the calculations: it’s wrong. We have turned the figures over in all directions, the calculations do not work and we are keeping them available to the presidency,” he repeats.
During this community council, Didier Payen, deputy in charge of health in Noyon and vice-president of Pays Noyonnais, was the elected official who defended the position of its president on the subject. This decision “follows an in-depth evaluation,” he assured. The services offered no longer meet our needs.” For Didier Payen, the SMIN demonstrates “insufficient responsiveness, a lack of follow-up”, offers “unsuitable recommendations”, or even “does not respond” to the requests of the Pays Noyonnais. The elected official then praised the possibilities offered on paper by Présoa.
“The SMIN will contest” all the accusations
Since this council, Thibault Delavenne has discussed again with the management of SMIN. “The SMIN will contest everything that they are accused of,” says the departmental advisor. They are due to meet with the Director General of Services soon to see what they are going to do.”
For the elected officials who opposed the change of service provider, the issue is quite simply “the survival of this Noyon service present since 1952, which has 12 agents”. Sandrine Dauchelle “is ready to sacrifice them, probably because she is not satisfied with the listening that the SMIN doctors offer to the many mistreated Noyon agents”, estimates the mayor of Guiscard. In community council, Noyonnais Patrick Deguise said “he understands the embarrassment (of Sandrine Dauchelle, Editor’s note) when the SMIN defends the agents against manipulations (hierarchical, Editor’s note) which are rather reprehensible”. The former president of the country considered this decision “scandalous”. Didier Payen defended himself. Privately, agents “also wonder about a service which manages so many harassment files”. “Is Sandrine Dauchelle hoping for less favorable agent support with Présoa,” asks Thibault Delavenne.
“If they lose all the agents, they are dead”
This Friday evening, the municipal council will see the second act of this fight take place. With a municipal council largely committed to the cause of Sandrine Dauchelle, and which systematically votes on all of the mayor’s proposals without discussion, the city should successfully ratify the denunciation of the agreement with SMIN and engage with Présoa. But for Thibault Delavenne, “the essentials would be saved for the SMIN if the community of communes were to remain within its fold”. He explains: “By losing the city, the SMIN loses around 250 agents. But if they keep the 270 agents from Pays Noyonnais, they think they can limit the damage and survive. But if they lose all the agents at once, they are dead.”
The SMIN, which also works with businesses and other municipalities in Noyonnais in the broad sense, is therefore currently playing for its survival. And according to the mayor of Guiscard, the game is not lost: “The CCPN will no longer have service on January 1 if nothing is done, so they will have to put the signing of a agreement with the SMIN and if they do not do so, we will ask to register it ourselves. In this scenario, the mayors would vote without hesitation for the continuity of the service with the Noyonnaise company. “And if Ms. Dauchelle refuses to register the point, we will go to the administrative court, as usual,” says the elected official.
“As usual”, because the president has still not responded to the request of the mayor of Guiscard to add to the agenda his requests for changes to the internal regulations to make the functioning of the Pays Noyonnais more fluid after the loss of its delegations. A request also including the elimination – or reduction – of the compensation of the president and vice-presidents. “According to our calculations, if on Monday December 16 we do not have a summons to a new council to discuss these points, this will mean that she does not wish to follow up on them and that we must return to the administrative court,” assures Thibault Delavenne.
