While the professional elections in the public service begin on 1is December (until 8), everyone agrees on one point: abstention is likely to be strong. During the last ballot, in 2018, turnout fell below 50% for the first time, and this left its mark. So much so that the rivalry between the CGT and the CFDT takes a back seat. The CFDT, which became the leading national union in 2018, remains behind the CGT among civil servants (19%, against 21.8%). Certainly, 70,000 votes difference, “It’s not irretrievablenotes Mylène Jacquot, general secretary of the CFDT Public functions. Will it be caught up in 2022? Not sure “. Force Ouvrière (18.1%) completed the top three, ahead of the UNSA (11.2%) and the FSU (8.6%).
If the actors do not anticipate any upheaval, some therefore fear “a strong stall” of attendance. And for the CGT, it is the electronic vote, generalized this year in the public service of State and in strong progression in the two other “slopes” (local authorities, hospitals), which is the cause. “It has been practiced for three elections in the national education system, and its implementation has resulted in a drop in the participation rate of 20 points”warns Céline Verzeletti, confederal secretary of the CGT.
“Electronic voting is complex and it does not provide all the guarantees in terms of data security and anonymity”, judges the union official. The CGT has “noted malfunctions”. “Entire departments did not receive” the necessary elements, according to her. “The administration did not necessarily play its role to promote the voteregret M.me Verzeletti. There was very little publicity. We do all the work. » And warn: “If there are a large number of malfunctions, we will not hesitate to appeal. »
” This is useless “
At the Ministry of Public Service and Transformation, we ensure “do everything to get back beyond 50% participation” : digital communication, trips, videos, radio spots from Thursday… The Minister, Stanislas Guerini, even wrote, on November 16, to the 5.7 million agents: “Through your mobilization during the election, you will bring social democracy to life, strengthen social dialogue in the public service and allow your voice to be heard during the many consultations to come. »
As for electronic voting, “We took it head on”assures the entourage of Mr. Guerini: “The Minister has put healthy pressure on providers, and the various blank tests are reassuring. » Anyway, considers the CFDT, the problem of participation does not lie in this type of ballot “as a modality”but rather in “its instrumentalization by some”, points out Mylène Jacquot. Although the Secretary General noted that “the loss of means of certain services” led to difficulties in compiling the lists of voters.
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