2023-09-16 17:06:03
Faced with Nestlé Waters management’s plan to eliminate 171 job cuts, mobilization does not weaken in Vittel, quite the contrary. Ten days ago, the previous mobilization brought together a little more than 200 people, but this Saturday, it was more widely attended.
The procession headed towards the town hall of Vittel © Radio France – Cédric Lieto
Environ a thousand people took the start from the Bouloumié stadium, to go down to the town hall of the spa town. In the procession were present employees of Nestlé Waters, habitants who are worried about what is the locomotive of the territory and a dozenelected locals including the mayor of Vittel Franck Perry, that of Contrexéville, Luc Gerecke and the deputy Jean-Jacques Gaultier.
A compact crowd in white t-shirts with the inscription “zero layoffs”. Thierry is 55 years old, this is his third event, he has spent his entire career at Vittel: “I gave myself body and soul and I’m going to be told in December that I’m not coming back? It’s what ? We can’t throw ourselves around like that“. Florian returned to Nestlé 13 years ago and he worries about his two children if he were to lose his job. In the procession, there are also residents without direct links to the factory like Séverine, came to parade with the “Nestlé”: “all businesses, schools, everything around them will suffer the consequences. We might as well support them so that our city remains attractive. If we don’t fight, we won’t have anything left“.
With his tricolor scarf, Franck Perry, the mayor of Vittel speaks and offers mediation: “we are listening and we are ready to relocate the meetings to a neutral location like the town hall. At some point, people will have to take responsibility“. The Vittel municipal council must vote on a motion of support for the company’s employees.
Unions and local elected officials demonstrated together against job cuts at Nestlé Waters Vosges © Radio France – Cedric Lieto
“We have paid dividends for 30 years”
On the union side, we welcome the mobilization of the day with always the same demand, support for older employees towards retirement and no outright dismissals. Stéphane Cachet is the secretary of the CGT Nestlé Waters: “a pre-retiree is more likely to stay in the territory while a laid-off person risks leaving the territory […] Nestlé says it is socially responsible, they have a duty towards the territory, they exploit a natural resource. We have paid dividends for 30 years“.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, the unions are calling for a rally to put pressure on management.
Details from Cédric Lieto on site, at midday.
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The procession was widely followed by the local population © Radio France – Cédric Lieto
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