“If we have to stay, we will stay”, say Sanofi employees in Lisieux who have started a renewable strike

A morning shift, an evening shift… Striking Sanofi employees block the Lisieux factory to demonstrate their opposition to the transfer of the activity to an American fund.

“If we have to stay 15 days, three weeks, we will stay. We are ready”warns Aurélie, employee of the Doliprane production plant in Lisieux (Calvados), Thursday October 17 on France Bleu Normandie. The CGT and CFDT unions have launched a renewable strike movement to protest against the proposed sale of Opella Healthcare International (OHI) – the Sanofi subsidiary which produces the drug – to an American fund.

The strike began at 5 a.m. Around forty employees are gathered around a brazier in front of the Lisieux site, noted the journalist from France Bleu Normandie. A barn has been erected in front of the gates. Some tires were placed on the side “in case”, explain the strikers. They will take turns all day. “The afternoon shift will arrive this midday and the evening shift will take over from 9 p.m. explains Frédéric Debève, CGT central union delegate at Opella Healthcare International (OHI).

“There is great concern”he confides. The arrival on Monday of the Ministers of Economy and Industry, Antoine Armand and Marc Ferracci, did not reassure them, quite the contrary. “We quickly understood that it was window dressing and that the State would be quite powerless in the face of the situation,” reacts Julien, manufacturing technician. The new tenant of Bercy “studying the possibility of taking a stake in governance” of Opella, that is to say a presence of the State on the board of directors. “Companies that have been supported by the French government cannot be supported under any conditions,” he explained to senators on Wednesday. Antoine Armand says he asked for a “exhaustive assessment” public aid obtained by Sanofi over the last ten years.

“If it’s only 1%, we might as well say things : it comes down to being a green plant”squeaks a striking employee. “If the State takes a 1% share, that’s what we were told, it won’t be listened to”adds Frédéric Debève. The only way, according to the strikers, to push back the Sanofi pharmaceutical group is to “hit where it hurts: the wallet”explains one of them. “Every day, between 1.2 million and 1.5 million boxes of Doliprane leave the Lisieux factory. We have to show that we are there and then, block production even if unfortunately, that could lead to a shortage “continues Frédéric Debève.