Insee: Sud unionist, suspended for distributing Sophie Binet's column, reinstated by the courts

The choice of a photo published in the in-house organizational chart and the distribution of a platform. This was the grievance that led the secretary general of the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), Karine Berger , to demand the suspension of Pierre*, a statistical attaché and activist of the SUD union, in November 2024, then the extension of this "precautionary measure", for another six months, including three months suspended, against the (advisory) opinion of the CAP (joint administrative commission, composed of four union representatives and four management representatives).

The administrative court of Cergy Pontoise (Val-d'Oise), seized in summary proceedings in an emergency procedure by the agent, has just ruled by requesting the "suspension of the execution of the decision" as well as "the reinstatement (of the agent) on a provisional basis in his functions, within a period of five days from notification of the order to be issued" .

In her decision, which L'Humanité was able to consult, the interim relief judge thus considered that "the condition of urgency is met, since the contested decision deprives him of his remuneration while he must meet all of his fixed and current monthly expenses" , but also that the decision to suspend him "is tainted by a disproportionate nature as to the sanction imposed" and "that there exists (...) a serious doubt as to the legality of the contested decision".

Although the case will only be decided on the merits during a future trial, it is a clear disavowal for the management of INSEE and particularly for its secretary general, whose authoritarian drift is being singled out by the unions who accuse her in particular of restricting the scope of their freedom. This is something she denied in our columns last May. In the eyes of the organizations, this suspension of their colleague from Sud, on grounds deemed "grotesque" , would nonetheless be particularly symptomatic of a deleterious climate aimed at "bringing them into line" .

As a reminder, the 63-year-old agent had been accused of having chosen, as a photo for the in-house organizational chart, a portrait of himself where he appears with his face masked and hood over his head, an outfit reminiscent of " a staging corresponding to the outfit worn by the black blocs ", according to management - and for having distributed, in "places not dedicated to this use" , a platform co-signed by the general secretary of the CGT, Sophie Binet , and the former president of the Human Rights League. They denounced the addition, in the INSEE census forms, of a question relating to the parents' country of origin .

"The INSEE was forced to reinstate me. And this judgment gives management a very bad omen for the decision that will be taken in two years, that is to say when the case is judged on the merits," comments the agent who returned to his duties less than a week ago, in an atmosphere he describes as "tense."

"Following this disavowal, we are asking the INSEE management to permanently lift the sanction so that the procedure can be brought to a halt," points out Sylvain Billot, a SUD INSEE activist. The unions are now banking on a change of leadership at the head of the public body, following the retirement last June of Jean-Luc Tavernier, its director general.

According to them, the latter had expressed, on the eve of his departure, desires to "find a way out" of the crisis, before being confronted with the counter-offensive of the representatives of the HR department. This unknown remains: will his successor Fabrice Lenglart, who has just taken up his duties, take this expected calming measure, even if it means ignoring the wishes of his secretary general?