This was a long-awaited decision and it leaves a bitter taste for the unions. The two Walor factories in Vouziers and Bogny-sur-Meuse in the Ardennes are officially taken over. The Sedan commercial court delivered its deliberations this Monday, November 25, after the hearing last Thursday.
The one and only trade-in offer for these factories specializing in the manufacturing of automobile parts was proposed by the industrialist Forgex France, already established in Monthermé in the Ardennes and Haute-Marne. This offer, validated by the court, offers the takeover of 48 employees and the dismissal of 30 employees for the Vouziers site and the takeover of 53 employees and the dismissal of 72 employees for the Bogny-sur-Meuse factory.
“A very hard social blow” – Maître Lacourt, lawyer for the unions at the Vouziers factory
“The law requires the employer to try to find reclassification positionsexplains Emeric Lacourt, the lawyer for the unions at the Vouziers factory. But given the situation, we are not very optimistic about the effectiveness of this obligation. Concretely, those made redundant will have to look for work on their own.”
“This is a very hard social blow for the Meuse Valley and Vouzinoiscontinues Emeric Lacourt. This offer wasn't the best, it was the only one. It was that or the dismissal of the entire staff, which was not an option. Necessity and evidence have reigned supreme and under these conditions, Forgex becomes the owner of these two industrial sites.”
The unions of the different sites and their lawyers do not intend to stop there: “We consider that Walor did not take his responsibilities, concludes Maître Lacourt. The company had been bought last year and she knew that Bogny-sur-Meuse and Vouziers were not doing well. The managers did not ensure that these companies could be sustainable and we intend to have this punished by the courts.”
France
