The Bonduelle group, based in Villeneuve d'Ascq, will close a salad bagging factory in the Meuse, threatening 159 jobs. For the unions, mobilized this Friday, November 22, 2024, this social plan does not bode well for the future of the company, which has three production sites in the North.
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Gathered in front of the Bonduelle headquarters, in Villeneuve d'Ascq, this Friday, November 22, 2024, around forty union officials came to protest against a layoff plan which affects a production factory in Saint-Mihiel, in the Meuse, where 159 jobs will be eliminated.
The inter-union, led by the CFDT, addressed a speech to management to denounce this job protection plan (PSE), announced on August 29, which it considers “worrisome” for the future of the group. A meeting, planned for a long time, was to be held between the two parties, but the staff representatives decided to abort it in the form of a protest.
The announced closure of the Saint Mihiel site, specialized in salad bagging, is part of Bonduelle's strategy aimed at ceasing its bagged salad business in France and Germany. In a press release, the group justifies this with a “structural decline in consumption” of the product in these countries, “worsened by the inflationary context, and increased competition from private labels”.
The Bonduelle group has announced the cessation of its bagged salad activity in France and Germany, due to a “decline in consumption” of the product.
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© Emilie Pommierbuffat, elected CFDT
The northern company is in the process of “exclusive negotiation” with Les Crudettes, a competing company of the LSDH group “for the resumption of its bagged salad activity in France”. If the Bonduelle salad is living its last hours, the brand now wants to “focus” on its canned, frozen and catering activities, as part of a three-year transformation plan initiated by CEO Xavier Unkovic, appointed to head the group on June 1, 2023.
“We are here out of solidarity with our colleagues from the Meuse and for prevention for the future of the group,” declares Philippe Stoffaes, employee of the Renescure canning and frozen food factory, in the North, elected CGT.
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© Emilie Pommierbuffat, elected CFDT
But for the unions, this PSE is not “not reassuring” for the future of other branches. “We are the first, but let's think we are not the last”, alert Stéphane Gemter, CFDT elected official, employee of the Meuse site for 26 years. “We don’t know if after the salad it won’t be canned and frozen foods,” worries Philippe Stoffaes, CGT worker, employee at the Renescure canning factory, in the North. “There are strong presumptions that this will continue at Bonduelle,” agrees Emilie Pommierbuffat, federal secretary in charge of the canning branch at the CFDT.
The Bonduelle group has three factories in Hauts-de-France, in Renescure, Estrée and Vaulx-Vraucourt, employing 1,440 people. It is present in nearly 100 countries, with 11,000 employees. The products are grown on 70,000 hectares by 2,000 partner farmers.
