At the end of a general meeting held outside at the call of the CGT, around thirty employees of the Camaïeu ready-to-wear brand, liquidation, broke into the company’s headquarters in Roubaix on Tuesday, October 4, noted a journalist from Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The protesters, accompanied by the CGT delegate Thierry Siwik, tore down a fence to enter the parking lot of the headquarters. About thirty of them then went to the hall, without the intervention of the security guards, before occupying the premises.
Several ex-employees of Camaïeu have just forced the fence of the company’s headquarters in Roubaix @BFMTV https://t.co/ifVpentyC2
“I understand their anger. It’s super sad. The company did not deserve to disappear”reacted the general manager of Camaïeu, Sandrine Lilenfeld, present on the spot.
A “project” would make it possible to maintain half of the jobs
“It’s part of the balance of power, otherwise we won’t be heard”, explained to AFP Mr. Siwik, whose union is not in the majority. The occupation must continue for the next few days, he said. “We want to show that the company belongs to us, that we are not responsible for this situation, that it is the shareholder who is responsible”he added, emphasizing that there would be no “no breakage”.
The CGT claims to have a ” project “ which would maintain about half of the jobs, or 1,200, but still be looking for investors. “We have financial partners who are likely to invest in Camaieu, but the funds are not sufficient”explained Mr. Siwik.
Employees, some wearing CGT vests, had previously gathered outside to listen to CGT lawyer Me Fiodor Rilov, suggesting that they initiate proceedings against the shareholder, Hermione People and Brands (HPB), a subsidiary of Financière immobilière bordelaise (FIB), which had taken over Camaieu in 2020.
Shareholder “unfulfilled commitments”
The lawyer notably pointed to “Unfulfilled Commitments” of the shareholder. He intends to request in summary proceedings accounting documents to launch a procedure of “compensation for harm” towards employees. According to him, “the liquidator’s social plan will be at the level of the daisies”.
In cessation of payments two years after its takeover by the Financière immobilière bordelaise, Camaïeu, which employs some 2,600 employees – including half a thousand in Roubaix – was put into liquidation on September 28 by the Lille commercial court, and its activities put on hold on 1er october.
According to Laurent Gunst, representative of the majority independent union UPAE, there are still 2,126 employees affected by the liquidation today, after the departure of employees on fixed-term contracts or in work-study training.
“We are in reflection, we are also considering action against the former leaders”he explained, when asked about a possible support of the UPAE for the action carried out by Mr.e Rilov. “They go after the wrong people, there is no one left at headquarters”said Mr. Gunst about the occupation, while judging the anger of the protesters ” legit “.
Friday, October 7 must be held the first consultations of the CSE for the social plan.