The call for a strike was heard by the teams at the Hatier school publishing house, who voted for the walkout on Tuesday, January 21, during a general meeting held on January 10. The workers are indeed worried about a moving project, which the CFDT/Sud de la maison inter-union considers “ imposed ».
The Hachette Livre group, owned by Vivendi, plans to sell the historic Hatier publishing house, located at 8, rue d’Assas, in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. The teams housed at this address therefore have the prospect of a move, within a fairly short time frame, since it should be effective next July. Hachette’s main competitor, Editis, has also embarked on a project to consolidate its workforce.
A screening “rather worrying »
Since November 2024, as part of an information-consultation procedure, Hatier staff bodies have discovered the prospects of an installation in the main building of the Hachette Livre group, in Vanves, southwest of Paris.
« We were able to visit Vanves, to see that many Hachette Livre companies, within the headquarters, are organized in small open spaceswithin large plateaus», explains Andrea Freire, union representative of the National Book and Publishing Union (SNLE-CFDT), who also points out “greater density than rue d’Assas, few meeting rooms and spaces for communicating ».
« The projection is rather worrying“, adds the union delegate, and the comparison works in favor of the premises on rue d’Assas, despite a building “a little dilapidated ». « 40% of employees have individual offices there, and the others bring together 2 to 4 people. The meeting rooms are suitable, but some would need to be equipped for hybrid meetings.»
Promised for sale, the walls on rue d’Assas are no longer an option, but the inter-union, followed by employees, hopes to obtain other proposals for premises from management.
A protest notebook
From 9:30 this morning, the strikers will be divided into workshops, to prepare placards and protest slogans, but also “to work on proposals for ways to improve working conditions and support for employees», emphasizes Andrea Freire.
In fact, the staff bodies “consider the support measures envisaged by Management to be very insufficient to reassure employees and compensate for the damage that would be caused by this project», Specifies the leaflet published this Monday January 20. The inter-union fears in particular departures, due to the new location of the premises.
-« We expect support for people who do not follow and, moreover, for their positions to be replaced», insists the union representative. In Vanves, Hatier editions would find themselves in the same building as a former competitor, Hachette Éducation (Hatier was bought by Hachette in 1996).
Groupings rhyme with layoffs, and common premises are often accompanied by job cuts: “We fear synergies, and that Hatier will be diluted in Hachette Éducation, causing a possible loss of book quality: we do not have the same ways of working as Hachette, not the same types of works», we are told.
A demands list must be drawn up and communicated to the group’s management, in order to “stick as closely as possible to employee expectations“. After the morning of workshops, a general assembly, at 12 p.m., in the courtyard of the building on rue d’Assas, will allow us to consider the continuation of the movement.
We have contacted Hachette Livre management, and are awaiting a response.
Photography: illustration, ActuaLitté, CC BY SA 2.0
By Antoine Oury
Contact : [email protected]
