If the repeal of the pension reform, the defense of collective social protection and public services, the refusal of budgetary austerity were at the heart of the meeting of October 26, the combativeness of FO in defending employment and interests of workers in companies was also. On the stage of the Maison de la Mutualité, FO union delegates from Eurotunnel, Casino, Duralex, Air France, Sanofi, Tefal and La Poste demonstrated actions to build the balance of power. Whatever the situation, at FO, we do not lower our heads, said Secretary General Frédéric Souillot.
A message of hope and struggle
Like at Eurotunnel. Stéphane Sauvage and Franck Herent, respectively general secretary and deputy general secretary of the union, detailed how it moved from contractual practice to surprise strike, to assert the employee demand for a fair sharing of wealth. Followed by 87% of the 1,700 employees, the strike of December 21, 2023 lasted only 6 hours 45 minutes, and was lifted as soon as the demands were heard. We want to send a message of hope and fight, they stressed.
FO secretary of the social and economic committee (CSE) of Duralex, Gualter Teixeira did not say anything else. Speaking on video, the activist explained how FO, representative at 34%, brought to the ministry [de l’Économie, NDLR] and in court the employees’ project of a takeover into a cooperative production company (Scop), after the investment fund owning the SME led it into receivership by taking all the profits. Effective since August 1, the transition to SCOP preserves 228 jobs.
FO’s fight for an ecological transition without social disruption was also highlighted. Central FO union delegate from Tefal, Riad Boulassel returned to the victorious mobilization of April 3 in Paris, which made it possible to exclude kitchen utensils from the scope of a proposed law aimed at restricting the manufacture and sale of products provided with of eternal pollutants. This threatened thousands of jobs in French factories. Other battles are being fought within the framework of the 2025 finance bill and its greening. FO salaried administrator of the Air France-KLM group, Didier Dague highlighted the consequences for employment of a possible increase in taxation on air transport.
Conditioning public aid to businesses
Also in the news, actions for health sovereignty. FO coordinator at Sanofi, Adel Qalai recalled the actions against the sale, to an American investment fund, of the consumer health subsidiary (1,800 employees in France) which specializes in non-prescription medicines, including Doliprane. He denounced the dismantling of the group, which had become a flagship thanks to public money. More than 1.5 billion euros have been received in ten years.
Public aid was again discussed in the Casino file. Secretary general of SNTA-FO, the first organization, Nathalie Devienne recalled the speculative wave which gripped management and which led to the dismantling of the group, the transfer of 18,000 employees to the competition, and 3,079 layoffs. Each intervention was an opportunity to recall the FO demand for conditionality of public aid to businesses. And the need for union development. As such, the FO success in the first CSE elections of La Poste (21.71% representativeness, or + 3.23 points), detailed by federal secretary Christine Simon, was another message of hope and fight.
