They started their work day with this difficult and unexpected announcement: the store will be closing. THE 73 employees of the Auchan group in Woippy are affected by the large-scale social plan announced by the distribution group, which affects 2,389 jobs throughout France.
« We were brought together by our director, who began his explanations calmly, before breaking down to tell us that we were part of the lot. We all cried » testifies Brigitte, who has worked at Woippy for 38 years.
Hired by the previous brand Mammoth, it is the prospect of the end of a professional life which imposes itself on her much sooner than expected : « I was like, “No, not our store!” I've been here since I was 22, can you imagine. It hurts my heart. I was thinking of retiring here, I had two and a half years left. I took a senior job, three days a week, to continue to see my colleagues. And then here we are in there..” she says, without knowing if she will be able to benefit from a possible early retirement, at 59 years old.
“The store has been standing for years”
The brand opens now a procedure for finding a buyer, which could last until next spring, specifies the group's communication. This will study the possibilities of reclassifying Woippy employees in other stores Auchan surrounding areas, without being able to yet provide figures on the number of jobs affected.
If the employees were not unaware of the group's difficulties, they did not envisage that their hypermarket, present for more than 20 years in the neighborhood Saint-Eloy, may close its doors: “ I didn't expect it so quickly. No, actually I wasn't expecting it at all. I came here as a young girl, I'm leaving again, I'm old. I'm sad » declares Brigitte soberly.
“We abandon neighborhoods in difficulty”
For customers who stroll through the shopping mall this Tuesday, the surprise is total : « I can't believe it. I've been coming here for 30 years, every day in the gallery to buy my bread. If Auchan disappears, it will leave a big void. Especially in the gallery where there are people, everyone knows each other” testifies Sophie, an incredulous customer.
The store serves as real local business for many residents: “ It's going to bother me a lot, I live nearby and I can only count on the bus. I don't have the means to travel » explains Karima, who has been carrying her shopping bag down the aisles for 23 years.
Same anger for Brigitte, another customer: “ There is nothing else nearby even though there are lots of houses. We must stop punishing citizens, they did not ask to take their car to go shopping. It's going to be misery, we're abandoning the neighborhoods in difficulty! » she gets excited.
“It’s the conviviality that is being taken away from us”
Traders fear lose part of their customer baseand to see this place of passage transform into a ghost gallery “ There is everything here: a hairdresser, a pharmacy, a taxi phone, a laundromat.. you can print, post a letter, do your shopping.. There is even a restaurant. How to replace that? That's the problem: where to go? » shares Mohammed, seated in one of the gallery's cafes.
Among the customers: many regulars, active people but also many retirees : « It’s the conviviality that is being taken away from us. If we no longer have a place to gather and drink coffee, it's a social death » comments Mohammed.
In a press release, the mayor of Woippy, Cédric Gouth, announces that he “ will make sure to help other brands to set up » instead of Auchan and « will be attentive to ensuring that employees who have not been able to benefit from retraining or an early retirement plan can find work there.»
The Force Ouvrière Moselle union, for its part, expressed its refusal to accept the layoffs and the closure of the store in Woippy, and declared that it “will lead the fight alongside employees.”
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