For the employees who mobilized in large numbers last week, this announcement has “a certain taste of victory”, slips Matthieu Devers, the CSE delegate for the CGT of the powerful trader. This would not have happened without the strong mobilization and its media coverage. »
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However, Laurent Boillot is careful not to make a connection between the employees' strike, whose concern he says he “understands”, and this decision. He instead points to the political and diplomatic calendar and the acceleration of negotiations in recent days, seeing in it “a glimmer of hope to resolve the crisis”.
“We have been there for 165 years, there is no question of abandoning China. »
In particular the announcement by the President of the Republic, last November 20, after the G20 in Rio, to send his Prime Minister Michel Barnier to China “in the first quarter of next year” to try to “find a solution favorable” to the Chinese surcharge file (+ 39% for Hennessy).
“As a last resort”
“It’s a relief because it saves us time,” says the president of Hennessy, who recalls that “since January 5 [et l’annonce de l’enquête anti-dumping sur les brandys européens, NDLR] Hennessy is fighting on all fronts and with all political authorities, at the Chinese, European and French levels, to vigorously defend its interests, its employees and its jobs.” However, he admits that “it would have been easier to learn this good news a little earlier”.
Understand before the announcement to staff representatives, on November 14, of this experiment, which has not however been abandoned, hence the extreme caution of the unions (read opposite). “But it will be a last resort,” insists Laurent Boillot, who says he only imagined it like that, in order to counter the surcharge imposed by Beijing. “Nothing has been decided and we must dissociate the evaluation part, which will be long, and the decision. »
Matthieu Devers, CSE secretary of the CGT at Hennessy, calls, with three other unions, to demonstrate on Thursday in front of the BNIC.
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And to “formally deny any plan to relocate cognac to China”. “The harvest, distillation, maturation in oak barrels, or assembly will always be carried out in Cognac, with our supply of dry materials (bottles, labels, corks, etc.) maintained under the same conditions as today. without any impact on the employment of the House's employees”, insists the merchant, who also recalls “the provisional nature” of the project. “We hope we never have to start, but now, if that were to happen, the very second the tax was no longer applied, not a drop of cognac would be bottled in China,” assures the president.
“We are not far from the scrapyard”
Insisting on the fact that management “has always been keen to maintain a transparent and constructive dialogue with the social partners”, Laurent Boillot assures that the project has only one objective: to continue to supply China with cognac. “We have been there for 165 years, there is no question of abandoning China,” he insists, recalling that this surcharge is above all “a question of activity and jobs for everyone “. “The subject is serious. We are not far from heating and breakage. »
He also affirms that this lever is not the only one activated to deal with the cognac crisis. “We are studying all possible solutions in the fields of innovation, sales and communication. »
Particularly in its number one market, the United States, “where we have pushed hard to restore the business”, with a lot of marketing plans (like its LeBron James limited edition – “everything is sold”). But also by developing other markets, such as South Africa, which has tripled its sales, in volume, since 2021, becoming “the 2e global country for SV”.
“All these initiatives, supports the president, have only one objective, to preserve our exceptional heritage: made in Cognac Hennessy, and unique know-how, jobs, the entire sector, in particular viticulture, and its regional ecosystem, and the Chinese market”.
Unions not completely reassured, a large gathering planned for Thursday in front of the BNIC
At the head of the employee revolt against this controversial project, Matthieu Devers “rather well received” this announcement of suspension. “But it remains a suspension, not a cancellation,” he says. During his team tour, Laurent Boillot insisted on the fact that we remained under this threat. »
This Tuesday, walkouts are therefore announced on the various Hennessy sites, “during the CSE”, scheduled for 9 a.m., “with a sharp slowdown in activity”, specifies Matthieu Devers.
And this Thursday, November 28, a strong inter-professional mobilization is expected in Cognac with a call to demonstrate in front of the BNIC headquarters launched this weekend on social networks by an inter-union group bringing together the CGT, FO, CFTC and CFDT. “A procession will leave Richonne around 9 a.m. and will parade through town, via boulevard Denfert-Rochereau, place François-Ier then rue du 14-Juillet, to the BNIC, where we will stay until 5 p.m., in a friendly but determined spirit,” explains the union leader. A meeting with the president of the BNIC, Florent Morillon, is also mentioned.
With two objectives: “to request the evolution of the AOC specifications by extending it to bottling in the appellation area, and to offer a demonstration of strength from the Cognacais”.
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