Fifty employees had gathered in front of the headquarters of Kingfisher France, Templemars (Nord), to the call of a broad inter-union (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFTC, CFE-CGC), has found an AFP journalist. A dozen of them stopped motorists at the entrance to the business area to distribute leaflets and an open letter appealing to Emmanuel Macron about “the leak of the work in Poland”.
Employees “expect their government to make every effort for the maintenance of the employment on our territory. As Kingfisher has greatly benefited from tax exemptions, financed by all taxpayers,” reads the letter signed of the central union representatives.
The director-general of the Kingfisher group, the French Véronique Laury, announced on 8 November, in a video released in all companies, the consolidation of activities accounting and management control in a services centre in Krakow. The plan should be effective by the end of 2018. “I am disgusted, knowing that the group continues to make profits. It is dropped as less than nothing,” says Ludivine, an employee at the service administrative management since 2006. “It’s going to be difficult to find work because it’s really specialized,” she said.
Khalid, treasurer since 2006, attached to the directorate of financial affairs, was still struggling to believe it. “I’m not ready to look for a new job. I’m disgusted,” he said. “I thought there would be something, but not that it would be a full-service”.
750 jobs under threat
According to the common leaflet of trade unions, 750 jobs are at risk at Castorama and Brico Dépôt. Of the figures that management does not “confirms in no case”.
“We will give accurate answers in the next few months,” said in a press release Kingfisher. The company says that “a solution of the reclassification of each employee concerned” is proposed.
Walkouts were also expected to take place in front of several stores in France.
Kingfisher announced in September that a decline of 8.1% of its first-half net profit to 295 million pounds (€332 million). This “new stage” should “allow it to become a more efficient enterprise”.
(with AFP)
