Decent Wage Strike at Hendaia Largest Factory
- While the company has huge profits, the workers of EPTA France, the leader in France in the production of industrial refrigerators, have denounced that their fees are frozen. Following the stoppages of the last four weeks, the workers of the company have on Tuesday starred in a one-day strike and a silent demonstration to reclaim the wage increase.
With some 700 workers, the CGT and CFDT trade unions have recalled that the majority of workers in the country’s largest company hold salaries close to the SMIC. And after five years of freezing, by 2020 monthly remuneration has been increased by EUR 4.25.
Unequal distribution of benefits
The negotiation is now blocked and the leadership argues for the difficult economic situation generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the workers, on the contrary, the factory has not been affected by the fire. Proof of this is that while the CEO purchased EUR 7.5 million in dividends in 2019, he received EUR 6.8 million in 2020. "A single man has received EUR 15 million in two years, even if he is CEO, the claim of Hendaia's 500 workers would amount to a million a year to dignify working conditions," said worker Pantxoa Zubiria.
EptaFrance has gained 9% less than in 2019. Despite the fact that it has received State aid, this year the revenue has been shared equally among the shareholders.
On the other hand, they have accused Hendaia’s leadership of diverting Hendaia’s production to the plant in Italy and Turkey, while rejecting the improvement of working conditions in the face of the economic situation generated by the pandemic. It is also the fact that the production of the day of the strike has been brought there.
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