Representatives of the workers of the National Consumer Institute (INC), which publishes the magazine 60 million consumersasked urgent help from Michel Barnier’s government, otherwise the INC “will not survive the year 2025”they state in a letter consulted on Friday, November 8 by the Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“On May 2, we learned about it through the voice of the delegate minister in charge of Business, Tourism and Consumer Affairs” of the time, Olivia Grégoire, “that a recovery scenario had finally been chosen for the INC”write the workers’ representatives in this document addressed to the new government team, consulted on Friday.
However, this seems “disputed”they continue. They ask the Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, the Minister of the Economy, Antoine Armand, and the Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs, Laurence Garnier, if it is possible “Do you have the State’s financial contribution of 3.2 million euros, as promised? »
“If not, considering the state of our cash flow, it is certain that INC will not survive the year 2025”They are alarmed by the representatives of fifty people who work in the public establishment based in Malakoff, in Hauts-de-Seine.
“Progressive reduction of the amount of the subsidy”
According to CSE member Bertrand Loiseau, the INC’s 2025 budget is due to be presented to the CSE on Tuesday, November 19, ahead of a board meeting scheduled for the end of the month. The lack of visibility of the aid granted by the State, particularly within the framework of the public service mission carried out by the INC, the situation of the Institute can quickly become “extremely dangerous” due to cash “which comes down to nothing”according to Mr. Loiseau.
In March, worker representatives called for ” save “ 60 million consumersnewspaper born in 1970 and “endangered” due to insufficient investments according to them. A 2022 parliamentary report mentioned a “progressive reduction of the amount of the subsidy” to the INC between 2012 and 2020, it went from 6.3 million euros to 2.7 million euros.
Created in 1966, the establishment is responsible for providing good information to consumers and “promote responsible consumption”. It brings together a center for comparative testing of products and services as well as a department of legal and economic studies, detailed on its website. Contacted by AFP on Friday, its management did not immediately react.
