'They treated us like slaves': Undocumented workers exploited by Suez subcontractor demand accountability from waste giant

" NTI, slave trader, Suez complicit. " The undocumented workers' slogan, blared over and over again by a Bluetooth speaker, stands out in the hushed atmosphere of the La Défense business district. A welcoming committee composed of eight former NTI employees, their mouths taped with construction tape, awaits the Suez employees during the morning rush hour on Thursday, July 3.

Thirteen people have been demonstrating since July ^1st in front of the waste treatment company's headquarters. Their goal? " To mobilize Suez employees and hold management accountable ," explains Ali Chaligui, leader of the CGT's waste activities branch. These former employees of NTI, a Suez service provider, accuse the group of turning a blind eye to their appalling working conditions in the Île-de-France waste sorting centers. In compensation, they are demanding permanent employment.

" We can stay here for months if necessary ," Youssef assures. Wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words " Quiet outside, angry inside ," he worked for the subcontracting company from 2017 until the end of 2022, when the labor inspectorate intervened, alerted by the employees . NTI was then liquidated in May 2023. " We haven't worked for almost three years. Some can't feed their families, others are squatting here and there, sometimes spending their nights outside ," Youssef complains.

Legal action was filed in June 2024 against NTI and the contractors. One was filed in the labor court, the other in criminal court for " human trafficking ." Suez and other waste management companies are accused of " failing in their duty of care " towards their subcontractor. Suez denies having been aware of the situation of these irregular workers. " We stopped our activities with NTI as soon as we became aware of these practices ," management told L'Humanité.

Before them, a first group of eleven undocumented workers, also exploited by NTI, took legal action. The investigation is still ongoing. However, they won their case against the client, Veolia. After protesting in August 2023 in front of one of the sorting centers of this client, for whom they had primarily worked, " they obtained promises of employment and Cerfa forms, leading to regularization through employment ," reports Katia Piantino, lawyer for the two groups of former employees.

To date, three negotiation meetings have been held between the CGT and Suez regarding the thirteen workers currently mobilizing outside the company's headquarters. Following these discussions, " Suez agreed to hire the employees, on the condition that they withdraw their legal action and in exchange for financial compensation ," the CGT states. " We refused this deal because this compensation is a way to buy off our union organization. Withdrawing the lawsuit was also impossible for the employees because they need a guarantee for their regularization ," explains Ali Chaligui.

For undocumented workers, withdrawing their complaint is indeed out of the question. " We demand justice for our dignity ," Abdellah maintains. Like Youssef, the man who wears the slogan " Suez wants to buy our silence, but we will not be silent " on his work uniform, was employed by NTI for five years.

So many years of " undignified work, without a contract, without a pay slip. We were paid 60 euros per day and 80 euros per night and worked double shifts," he denounces. Years also of blackmail and racketeering. " The team leaders took a percentage of our salary. If we refused, we didn't have a job the following week ," Abdellah recalls.

"Their situation was extremely precarious. They had no choice but to be subservient to the bosses they depended on for work," their lawyer explains. Their female colleagues were forced to go to their team leaders' houses to clean. Hind is one of them. "I had to work until I was eight months pregnant," she says.

The former employees also claim that they were not provided with the same safety equipment as the declared workforce. Lacking masks or suitable gloves, they were tasked with the most menial tasks, such as the annual cleaning of the ovens. "It's very difficult. They did it without training, without protection, or compliance with standards," explains Ali Chaligui. Another example of their differential treatment: their pace was faster on the waste sorting belts. "They treated us like slaves," summarizes Youssef, bitterly.

Suez claims to have been trying " in recent days to calm the situation through dialogue " and states that it has " offered to meet with each of these people, in the presence of their lawyer, to find an appropriate solution for each individual situation ."