Subcontractors: sacrificed for nuclear energy

In France, nearly 30,000 temporary workers are assigned to work at nuclear power plants. Currently, these subcontractors account for 80% of all maintenance work in the plants, which is a significant difference from them representing 50% of the workforce at the beginning of the 1990s. Within the last 20 years the duration of maintenance operations has been cut in half,  resulting in these “nomadic” workers moving more frequently from plant to plant.

Succession is no longer assured

Notably since 2005, staff numbers are declining.  After more than 20 difficult years, the French nuclear sector is finally recovering from the setbacks of the past.  Yet there are still major concerns that loom over the industry. For example, as pioneers of nuclear energy look towards retirement, the younger generations do not have any particular interest in succeeding them.  Too make things even worse, the same temporary contractors continue to work without respite, and their living conditions are progressively deteriorating.

Their houses: trailer trucks

The campgrounds are always crowded at the base of Chinon Castle.  The local owners rent a wide assortment of lodging to the subcontractors:  a piece land, a trailer, a room in their homes, or even a space in their farmyard or barn.  The local tourism office also provides housing options. Simultaneously, other business in this town such as Kebab Vendors, Laundromats, and small shops reap benefits from these temporary workers as well. In the evening, the workers can be found in local bars, revitalizing what were once ghost towns.  In order to maximize their time in their current location, they often return to the plant during the night and work for several hours, making extra money in the process.  Afterward, they sleep for just a few hours between shifts in the plant’s locker rooms.

Temporary workers are exposed to 80% of radiation

These “outsider” workers perform mostly all the central maintenance tasks in these nuclear plants and take in over 80% of the total collective exposure to radiation experienced by the fleet of French nuclear plant employees.

However risky it may be, they also purposefully underreport their radiation exposure levels because those who have reached the exposure limit will not be permitted back into the plants to work.  For these people it’s the only way to maintain their livelihood, so they do what they must to support themselves and their families. Of course their choices come at the cost of their health and well-being.

In an attempt to limit their radiation exposure and the subsequent damage it causes, they collectively share information, advice, and tips and tricks of the trade.  They often use their downtime during the evenings to talk solely about potentially life-saving bits of information.

For example, in the Gravelines power plant the temporary workers note that one has to pay attention to particular pipes and bolts. In the plant at Tricastin, where confidentiality is highly valued, subcontractors nevertheless share with each other which rooms are particularly dangerous. Between March and October, they gather at bars and exchange their experiences, expertise, advice and warnings.  This is the  season during which they take to the plants to complete all the requested maintenance.

Winter: the season to heal

During the winter, the temporary workers find themselves back in the arms of their families but —more often than not—unemployed as well.  Some choose to work in bakeries, small convenient stores, or even as skilled repairmen. Others continue to specialize in high-risk jobs and go into the petrochemical or asbestos removal industries.

Regardless of the workers’ decisions to take on other professions during the off months, health problems created by radiation exposure catch up with them incredibly fast.  These men and women can experience a range of health issues from chronic insomnia and anxiety to leukemia and cancer.  In extreme cases, some workers are so severely depressed that they try to take their own lives.

Since 1995, workers’ unions have been attempting to monitor these issues closely. One example of the gravity of the situation is that during that very year (1995), the suicides of five subcontractors were recorded at the Chinon nuclear power plant.  Since then, more suicide attempts have followed.  Another sign of these serious health problems was that in 2003 the Paluel (in Seine-Maritime) plant’s mutual insurance company noted that 80% of the workers’ health records stated that they needed tranquilizers and/or sedatives for pain, anxiety, and other serious health concerns.

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This post was initially published on Elsa Fayner’s blog ”Et voilà le Travail”
Photo Credits: Flickr CC nagadoudi
Translation: Adam Kegley