In Strasbourg, Dumarey Powerglide employees go on strike

A renewable strike and the blockade of Dumarey Powerglide, the company specializing in gearboxes. The inter-union CFDT-CGT decided to toughen its tone on Thursday, November 7. “There has been no progress, the management is buying time and showing contempt. The affected employees are mostly over 52 years old and exhausted, they just know the issue: there needs to be a solution for everyone.” plague Malek Kirouane, CGT delegate.

At the end of summer, the German equipment manufacturer ZF, the plant’s main customer (representing more than 85% of turnover), announced the end of orders for eight-speed automatic transmissions. Dumarey Powerglide manages to escape recovery, but is heading towards a great social plan: with 248 layoffs of 591 employees.

The management proposed a guarantee fund of 60 million euros, the employees demanded 100. Olivier Delacourt, general secretary, came to support the demonstration called by the employees at the company facilities, in the autonomous port of Strasbourg, CFDT Métallurgie Alsace , he comments. : “We need real support measures while the labor market is tight and restricted. The company is also adamant about rejecting a voluntary exit plan. » When asked, management declined to communicate.

Concerns in Alsace

Alain Richard, 55 years old and thirty-one years in the company, is one of Dumarey’s licensees and believes that he cannot accept the proposed conditions: “I’m too young to retire and too old to find a job. » His colleague Christian Hugel, “twenty-eight years at home”It is not part of the cart, but it is alarmed: “The atmosphere has been very anxious for months. We don’t wait much anymore. »

Since General Motors moved there in 1967 to manufacture gearboxes, the site has seen many adventures. In 2008, greatly affected by the global crisis, the American manufacturer wanted to withdraw. Economic actors and institutions are mobilizing to save the site and Punch Metals International, owned by Belgian businessman Guido Dumarey, is taking over the factory. At that time, the agreement with ZF was closed, which made it possible to convince the banks: an investment of more than 100 million euros would allow the production of eight-speed automatic transmissions, in which 2,000 employees were then working. Here, the management of what the Belgian media calls “the business doctor” is criticized.

You have 20.55% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.