Laval. Deterioration of working conditions, no increase in salaries… Intelcia employees walk off the job

It's been almost a year since the battle began. This fight with management to begin in last January during mandatory annual negotiations and the refusal to increase the salaries of more than half of the 290 employees, including 95% are on the minimum wage according to the unions. The walkout took place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a mobilization in front of Laval City Hall at 11 a.m. took place.

“We have management that doesn’t listen to us”

Employees, unions, supporters… There were more than fifty of them who mobilized in front of theTown Hall. Several union groups were present once again to sound the alarm. Jean-Charles BiganCGT union delegate within the company affirms the inattention of the managementIntelligence. “We have a management that does not listen to us, or even does not hear us on anything that we can raise. We have a presence of collective unhappiness and management constantly wants individual points, something concrete. And they are told that people don't feel well, that they stop and that some are depressed“. Moreover, “since 1^is November, we have the first six salary coefficients which are caught up by the minimum wagethat is to say that an employee who arrived fifteen years ago is paid the minimum wage, just like new arrivals.. But the union representative does not stop there. “What is unacceptable is that the supervisors for the first level have a difference of less than one euro gross on the minimum wage“.

Finally, Jean-Charles Bigan points out that “all stressful, humiliating and blackmail conditionswhere we are intimidated rather than encouraged, it is also weighing on morale“. The unions also denounce “management by fear and pressure”.

Credit : Pierre-Louis Besnier

An increase in wages among the demands

After the denunciations, it’s time for demands. They are based on three main points: first, “salary increases for allespecially for employees who are on minimum wage. This represents more than 90% of the box approximately“explain Kevin FaucheuxSUD union delegate. Secondly, “another management method. No more humiliation, no more fear, no more reframing interviews for the slightest little step aside.”. And third, the arrival of “new activities on our site. Yet, Intelligence has plenty of customers in France but is unable to unlock a customer for us and to compensate for the one they lost”continue Kevin Faucheux.

For two years, employees have been worried about the decline in their numbers. Since the takeover, almost fifty people left in total.

Credit : Pierre-Louis Besnier

“It’s a very difficult time.”

The unions and employees were not alone in front of City Hall. Several people came to support them in a very complicated moment. This is the case of Christopheactivist of Insoumise France. “Given the current moment, it’s normal to support employees in this wave of layoffs that there is in France and especially near us. It's a very difficult time, these are times of struggle but very complicated. I have already experienced periods of layoffs and it is very hard“. He adds that “anyway, there are companies that do not do social work voluntarily. There are incredible stressful conditions as we heard in the slogans. Not only are salaries low but working conditions are bad. But there is a moment, we have the right to carry out our work in good conditions”.

The employees had to return to the company and resume work around 2 p.m. this Tuesday.

Credit : Pierre-Louis Besnier