Guillaume, 34, lost his job following the closure of the Marelli factory, based in Argentan in Orne. A test that he wants to overcome in order to move forward. For ten months, the Norman has no longer worked and even admits to being ready to leave Normandy to find work. He confides for the first time.
Company
From daily life to major issues, discover the subjects that make up local society, such as justice, education, health and family.
France Télévisions uses your email address to send you the “Society” newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link at the bottom of this newsletter. Our privacy policy
The days have been the same for ten months for Guillaume. But this former Marelli employee does not hesitate to travel hundreds of kilometers over the past few weeks to follow training. While he lives in Argentan, the Ornais sometimes goes to Blois, sometimes to Caen to learn. After losing his job, the 34-year-old from Normandy wants to bounce back and move forward.
Guillaume remembers this day, a little before January 31, 2024, when he learned that the Marelli factory, based in Argentan, was closing its curtains for good. A maintenance technician within the company, he was stunned when he heard the news:
It was a massive blow! I was at work, working and we were gathered in a room with my team. And there, the director announced to us the permanent closure of the site. It was hard to take. Colleagues broke down, tears flowed.
GuillaumeEx-employee Marelli
Guillaume remembers the atmosphere as if it were yesterday: “It was heavy. There, we said to ourselves that that's it, it's official. They're closing the door and we're going to find ourselves out of business.”
A few months before the closure of the Ornaise factory, the unions launched a right of alert. At the time, Guillaume didn't ask himself too many questions: “We saw the unions moving, getting worried and asking management for explanations, but management told us that everything was fine,” says the latter. “We had colleagues who told us, 'We've been talking about closing the factory in Argentan for 40 years, it's always existed…' so I wasn't too worried.”
Guillaume is busy with his daily life at work. But he admits to us that the more the months pass, the more he has a bad feeling: “The atmosphere was heavy at times and on the one hand, deep down, I felt that there was a problem that was going to happen. But I didn't think it would suddenly be like this. We didn't wasn't ready.”
During January, the ax fell. On the 31st, employees spend their last day on the site. The activity will be relocated to Slovakia. Costs are cheaper:
“I find it disgusting to have relocated our activity to Slovakia. We worked well, we had good returns, orders.”
GuillaumeEx-employee Marelli
For several years, the automobile industry has been suffering in Normandy as everywhere in France. Inflation, rising production costs, electrification of vehicles… Subcontractors in the sector are paying a high price, like Marelli, which has been manufacturing throttle bodies for diesel and gasoline engines for more than 50 years.
We feel the anger in Guillaume’s voice: “We were competent. And then, it raises questions to think that everything is going well in Slovakia. With Covid, we haven't stopped talking about local know-how and favoring French products.”
Guillaume had worked at the factory for six years. Having joined as a temporary worker, he rose through the ranks until obtaining a permanent contract for this maintenance technician position: “When you start working somewhere, you want to spend a few years there. I thought I would continue working at Marelli for a while longer and why not build a career.” The Norman lived for many years in Touquettes, in Orne. With this position, he settled in Argentan.
But ten months later, Guillaume wants to move forward at all costs. Like the 166 other employees, the latter was able to benefit from replacement leave after the closure of Marelli, allowing him to receive money for a year: “We continue to be paid by our boss until February. I took the opportunity to do some training, improve myself. And then, I found training equivalent to the BTS which allows me to become a maintenance technician. I held this position within Marelli but I didn't have the diploma for it. I just started and I have ten months to go.”
From March, his boss will no longer pay him anything but Guillaume wants to remain calm. He is not an owner and relies on compensation from France Travail to keep him going while he finds work. And a new job without his field, he's not sure he'll find one in Argentan:
There are few opportunities in Argentan and I would like to get back at least the salary I was earning. After my training, I am ready to leave everything here to find a job. I will take my family somewhere other than Normandy if necessary.
GuillaumeEx-employee Marelli
The thirty-year-old wants to put things into perspective and remain optimistic: “I am not an owner. I can afford to leave if necessary. This is not the case for some of my former colleagues who have their house, their life here. Some have still not found anything. They are over 50 and are worried about the future. I think very much of them.
Guillaume is now ready to turn the page: “I am proud of my career at Marelli, I will not forget this experience. It’s part of me”. He adds with a smile: “My partner is pregnant! I'm going to become a father. Leaving here could be a new beginning… I want to move forward.”
