Around a hundred people gathered at midday on Monday in front of the Lausanne Printing Center (CIL) in Bussigny. Employees, trade unionists and elected politicians spoke out and deemed the closure of the printing house by Tamedia “unacceptable”.
In addition to the fact that it leaves 63 employees behind, this closure will lead to an “irremediable loss of know-how”, the various speakers repeated. They also criticized the repercussions for the media sector, and even “an economic error” on the part of Tamedia.
Deemed unprofitable by the Zurich group, this printing plant “could be largely profitable”, assured Dominique Gigon, head of French-speaking Switzerland at Syndicom. According to the union’s analyses, the current deficit can be explained by the relocation of production to Bern and Zurich.
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Dominique Gigon also estimated that by closing Bussigny and Zurich to concentrate on its sole printing plant in Bern, Tamedia would not be able to meet demand and that it would have to give up printing its titles or those of its clients. “Tamedia is sabotaging itself,” he said.
Also present in Bussigny, Pierre-Yves Maillard affirmed that Tamedia wanted to “stop the paper”, even if the group “does not say it and proceeds in stages”. The Vaud state advisor and president of the Swiss Trade Union also accused Tamedia of “mistreatment” towards its employees and encouraged them to “fight”.
Alternatives refused
For the record, Tamedia announced at the end of August a vast restructuring with the closures of the printing works in Bussigny and Zurich, as well as several cuts in the editorial offices of its titles.
Concerning its printing plants, Tamedia had justified its choice by “overcapacity situations for several years”. Today they have an occupancy rate of between 30 and more than 50%.
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For the CIL of Bussigny, which has existed since 1989, the closure is scheduled for next March. The consultation procedure came to an end on September 20 and the first dismissal letters were sent immediately.
Staff representatives and Syndicom say they presented, without success, several alternatives to closing the site. This could have been synergies with other French-speaking printing companies or a development in the field of so-called “commercial” printing (books, magazines, brochures, etc.), indicated Dominique Gigon.
The unionist added that the staff would quickly meet. Employees will have to determine “the next steps” of their action, which could go “as far as a strike”, he noted.
Tamedia says he has no choice
Contacted by Keystone-ATS, Tamedia said it understood “the frustration of employees and their desire to express their discontent.” The country’s leading publisher, however, repeats that “market developments force us to implement” this new strategy, which includes the closure of the printing works in Bussigny and Zurich.
“Conversely, maintaining the status quo would lead to excessively high fixed costs which would threaten Tamedia as a whole,” he assures.
ats/rad
