Val-de-Marne: A complaint filed on behalf of 7,500 employees alleges institutionalized psychological harassment
A coalition of unions has filed a criminal complaint on behalf of the 7,500 employees of the Val-de-Marne departmental council. Registered on September 22, 2026, with the social division of the Paris public prosecutor’s office, the complaint denounces, in particular, institutionalized psychological harassment and implicates seven officials, including the president of the department. The unions also raise concerns about the impact of understaffing on employees and the services provided to residents.
Seven officials targeted by the complaint
The action is brought together by the CGT CD 94, the Ugict-CGT, the FSU SNUTER 94, and the CFDT Interco of Val-de-Marne. The unions state they have exhausted all internal avenues for raising concerns. The complaint specifically targets Olivier Capitanio, president of the departmental council, Julien Weil, vice-president in charge of human resources and legal affairs, as well as several directors and general managers.
The unions have also filed a report under Article 40 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, alleging « involuntary manslaughter » and « endangering the lives of others. » This provision requires any public official who becomes aware of a possible crime or offense to inform the public prosecutor. The 63-page complaint, reviewed by France Inter, details the accusations made by the inter-union group; these accusations have not yet been established by a court decision.
Staff numbers are declining and workplace suffering is being denounced.
At the heart of the matter is a reduction in staff. The complaint identifies 474 fewer full-time equivalent positions between January 1, 2024, and January 1, 2026, citing positions that have been eliminated, left vacant, or not filled following retirements. According to the unions, the remaining staff must absorb this additional workload in teams that are already understaffed.
The document also describes management methods that unions consider to be characterized by pres and humiliation. It reports an increase in resignations and deteriorating workplace health indicators: mandatory sick leave has reportedly quadrupled, and part-time work for therapeutic reasons has tripled. Medical examinations requested by employees are said to have increased by 79% between 2024 and 2025.
Three employees committed suicide in July and October 2025, and then in May 2026, according to reports by France Inter. A representative of the FSU territorial union reported increasing distress among staff and indicated that she had recently received a call from an employee who mentioned suicide.
These delays would also affect users.
The unions believe that staff reductions are impacting the department’s services, which include childcare, secondary schools, child protection, assistance for the elderly and disabled, and the active solidarity income (RSA). They report longer waiting times for the disability compensation benefit (PCH) and the personalized autonomy allowance (APA). According to them, social workers can sometimes offer an initial appointment but are then unable to provide follow-up care.
In the child protection sector, the inter-union group reports approximately 1,500 cases of concerning situations and 900 cases of pending home-based educational support. A union representative indicates that the processing of some cases, which is subject to a legal deadline of three months, is now taking up to ten months. These figures and delays were put forward by the unions.
The department disputes the criticisms
When questioned by France Inter, the departmental executive responded through its chief of staff. He deemed the accusations unfair given the work of the staff and asserted that the budget allocated to child protection is increasing. He also maintained that Val-de-Marne is in a more favorable position than most departments in this regard. Officials further disputed the criticisms concerning the impact on users and noted that the complaint comes on the eve of the professional elections.
By filing a complaint, the unions aim to pursue legal action following warnings they say they have issued without response. The proceedings concern both the working conditions of the staff and the consequences they attribute to staff reductions in the performance of departmental duties.
Source: franceinfo- Paris-Ile-de-France (www.franceinfo.fr)
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