End clap for Maflow Chartres: between bitterness and resignation, 91 employees made redundant

Ending like this, after thirty years in the service of this house belonging, since 2010, to the Polish group Boryszew, leaves a feeling of disgust in Franck Rousselet.

“It was expected! »

A resentment shared by Éric Jarry. “It’s not a shock! It was expected! », Recalls this Force Ouvrière union representative, and secretary of the CSE. The decision to close this Eurelian production unit this summer was confirmed last April, plunging the 91 employees into disarray.

The 91 employees of the company Maflow, under the influence of an amicable liquidation, in Chartres, will be dismissed

According to staff representatives, the Eastern European group justified it by the activity that had become insufficient due to the withdrawal of its two main customers Peugeot and Renault.

“We had known for a year that we were being taken for a ride. We weren’t fooled! “, fulminates Éric Jarry. But he keeps in mind the way things ended. “The agreement obtained is still negative! We are not satisfied! »

The agreement reached…

From this, in addition to the conventional indemnities, there emerged a supra-legal indemnity of 1,000 euros per employee and per year of seniority – “we are far from what we could have, with a ceiling of 30,000 € imposed by management”, comments Éric Jarry – as well as support measures for employees, in particular a 9-month redeployment leave which increases to 12 months for those over 50 or with disability problems – “measures at a discount! “, he is indignant, again.

Maflow Chartres employees received by the prefect of Eure-et-Loir Françoise Souliman

In pain

To obtain what he considers to be “the minimum”, the staff had to “fight” to the point of disgust and weariness, according to some and others. “The negotiations were complicated until the end. They dragged things out. The employees were exemplary. For some, it was time for it to end! Some people no longer want to hear about Maflow,” says the union official, with regard to their investment. “The average seniority is 24 years”, specifies Franck Lelièvre.

A strategy…

The economic reason, invoked by the company, is “contested” by these employees. “We could have maintained production with, perhaps not 100% of the staff, but at least thirty operators”, estimates the trade unionist.

He and his colleagues believe that the French site has been “sacrificed” in favor of the Polish sites. “If they hadn’t increased the price of Peugeot hoses in 2018, we would still be here”, ruminates Franck Rousselet. According to them, the car manufacturer then stopped this market, followed by the diamond brand. “It was a strategy of the group to increase its prices by 15% so that one of our customers would walk away and close the shop! “, believes, with hindsight, Franck Lelièvre. “It was planned for years! “, would even swear Fabien Prevost.

A threat of closure hangs over the Maflow Chartres factory, a subcontractor of Renault and PSA

All are also angry with the state they have challenged. “He let it happen! We asked Minister Bruno Le Maire, no response. And then they talk about relocation! But in fact, there is nothing! “, they get annoyed. As for the local politicians, “apart from the members of the Independent Democratic Workers’ Party”, they do not remember any sign of support or concern on their part. “We have been abandoned! »

Bitter…

Beneath the resignation, other feelings emerge. “We have been abandoned! We are bitter!, Gets carried away David Gomes. Excuse me for saying it like that, but we were taken for crap! How are we going to find work? Many of us are over 50. » « 54% of the workforce! “, figures Franck Lelièvre. “And we are presented with all this as a plan to save jobs? When everyone is fired! We are being laughed at! “, plague Soodesh Boodhram, who is one of the 91 licensees.

*Solicited, the management of Maflow does not wish to communicate for the moment.