The distributor Auchan, long flagship of the Mulliez galaxy, presented, on Tuesday November 5, to the representatives of its employees in France, a draft social plan of magnitude, threatening 2,389 jobs in France, in particular with the closure of around ten stores. In detail, Auchan, which employs around 54,000 people in France, plans to cut 784 positions within its headquarters and 915 positions in its stores. This is why, this Saturday, December 14, around twenty employees of Auchan Mont-Saint-Martin demonstrated.
Store managers temporarily took over the departments to replace the strikers.
“The PES could expand and no one is safe”
At the heart of this mobilization: the fear of seeing 14 employees potentially laid off in a context where, according to the strikers, “the store functions well and generates profits”.
Among the slogans heard in the aisles of the shopping center, that of Safia, CGT union representative, sums up the state of mind of the demonstrators: “We stand in solidarity with the threatened colleagues.” “The PSE could extend to other brands in the group and no one is safe,” worries Fabrice, CFDT delegate. Several stores, such as Woippy or Bar-le-Duc, have already closed their doors.
Present to support employees, Jawad Mahjoubi, CGT territorial general secretary at Longwy town hall, deplores a situation that he describes as “inconsistent. How can we consider laying off 12 salespeople when the store is profitable? The Mulliez group, owner of Auchan, generates considerable profits, and one billion euros in dividends was recently paid to Decathlon. There is money, but it remains in the pockets of the employers.”
“We will not remain in inaction”
The strikers also denounce the powerlessness of local management in the face of decisions taken at the national level. “The management can’t do anything, but politically, our elected officials don’t have the means to defend us either,” regrets Safia. The Mulliez group, which also owns Celio, Cultura and Kiabi, is singled out for its strategic choices. “We have to hit shareholders’ wallets,” insists a striking employee.
The current PSE could well be just the beginning, according to the unions: “One PSE can call upon another. Who will be next? We will remain mobilized as long as necessary,” concludes Safia, determined to maintain the pressure.
Management for its part says it is “confident”. “I am optimistic, with the turnover that there is, we will be able to recover employees affected by the elimination in other positions,” reassures Sébastien Grosjean, director of Auchan Mont-Saint-Martin.
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