2023-12-23 09:25:00
« FHonestly, I don’t have the heart to party. I haven’t made my presents for Christmas, and I won’t do them. » In front of Casino’s head office in the center of Saint-Étienne, Leïla, who has been with the company for 20 years, has been disappointed since the announcement on Monday, December 18 of the opening of exclusive negotiations with Intermarché and Auchan to sell them 313 hypermarkets. and supermarkets, for a price of 1.35 billion euros. In addition to Franprix and Monoprix, Casino would then only retain local shops. Like the other employees, Leïla understood that with its 1,800 employees, the historic headquarters of Saint-Étienne is oversized for this activity alone.
While some depots went on strike this Friday, December 22, while waiting for department stores on Saturday the 23rd, head office employees did not strike, awaiting new information. “Our mobilization was on Sunday, the big demonstration in the streets of the city. There, we have to prepare for what comes next,” explains Florence, who has also been with Casino for 20 years. “Sunday was the funeral, now we have to manage the estate,” rephrases another employee, “12 years at Casino, but always a resident of Saint-Etienne.” Leïla confirms: “That’s it, we are in a phase of mourning. »
Casino: the fear of “social breakdown”
None believe in maintaining a majority of jobs at the head office, the city’s main employer. “Those who take over have all the support functions, they don’t need us. We hope that there will not be too much damage for the employees bought out, but we have no illusions,” says Florence. “If there is one seat left here, it will be a death compared to what it was,” continues Leïla. “There will perhaps remain a core, but no more,” Florence also believes. Municipal councilor in a small town in the metropolitan area, she fears “social breakdown in the Saint-Étienne basin”. “It’s going to be a disaster. Already this is not great health from an economic point of view, it is the big straw that breaks the camel’s back. » However, she does not see a way out: “We can no longer even say no to the sale of stores, that would cause bankruptcy and we would take 50,000 people into the fall. »
Here, the same words come back: “Anger, desolation, betrayal, lack of loyalty from our management…”, lists Florence, disappointed. “We worked full time during Covid to feed people, we have the feeling of doing useful work, and then we discover this…” Her colleague Martine, who did not want to speak, suddenly becomes inexhaustible: “It’s a company where we can look into each other’s eyes, there is real humanity. Corporate culture here was not an empty word. That’s what they destroyed. » Leïla adds: “For ten years, they kept telling us that we were “a quarter of an hour ahead” of the competition. » Martine continues: “How was a CAC 40 company able to accumulate so many billions of debt without anyone reacting? There are accountants, audits… Nobody looked? »
Aziz, 23 years at Casino, and elected to the CSE, is bitter and regrets that “the employees’ warnings were not heard, even though we might clearly see that we were heading into the wall”. “We were too expensive, there were fewer and fewer customers, we’ve been saying that for several years. We were promised investments in prices, but nothing was done. » For him, the situation is “the result of the madness of financial logic and a race for cash”. “To pay the creditors, we increased prices. Except that when there are no more customers…”
Casino, 125 years of history
However, he wants to believe in the future of the head office in Saint-Étienne and hopes to find out more during the next meeting with management, scheduled for January 4: “It is obvious that there will be job cuts, but we have other seats in Vitry-sur-Seine and Clichy, will they join us here? Everything is still possible,” he believes, convinced that political pressure will have its influence. “If Casino closes, there is no longer a large group here, it is the Hospital which becomes the city’s largest employer. The deputies, the mayor, the elected officials support us, the inter-union was received yesterday by Bruno Le Maire, there is a synergy. »
And to recall the symbolic importance of Casino: “It’s 125 years of history and three Republics! It is the creation of family allowances by Mr. Geoffroy Guichard, the invention of distributor brands, the cold circuit… It is a heritage that we want to defend. When Notre Dame burned, there was a national surge. For Casino, it must be the same. » Jean Pastor, CGT delegate and spokesperson for the inter-union, is less optimistic: “Despite all the politicians’ promises, the headquarters is doomed to disappear. » He is convinced of it.
Philippe, 31 years old at Casino, Claude, 27 years old, and Françoise, 28 years old, are just as disappointed. “We are sad and angry, it’s an anxiety-provoking situation, really difficult,” worries the latter. “The seat is ruined. We have it in our throats,” says Claude, angry with CEO Jean-Charles Naouri: “We haven’t seen him here for years. He thought he was managing a distribution giant with Excel files, without going into the field. » Philippe is no less angry: “We called on external firms who did not know distribution. It’s a huge waste. » All three talk regarding the technological rush, supposed to compensate for the lack of personnel: “We are told that the banana stand is the most important in fruit and vegetables. Rather than paying someone to restock it, we put cameras above to monitor their maturity level…”, Claude laughs.
Cédric, manager in the “liquids and wines” branch, at Casino for 21 years, wants to believe in maintaining the headquarters. “Trust is perhaps not the right term, but we always hope that our leaders will find the best solutions. You can’t be wrong all the time, especially with a new team coming. » He wants to see the glass “half full”. “What is sold is what cost the group the most. It’s rational. » An optimism that Michel, an accountant with the company for 40 years, does not share: “It’s over, I hope there will be strong social support, because it’s not going to be easy. And I still have four years to go before retirement. »
Like the others, he testifies to “the brutality of the events”. “It’s happening so quickly, we knew the business wasn’t doing well, but we didn’t expect this violence. We’re all a little overwhelmed. Angry too, obviously. We wonder why other distributors are doing very well and not us. » With a calm and sad smile, he predicts: “I think the year 2024 is going to be violent here. The city is already not doing very well, anything might happen, because it will be a cataclysm. »
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