Massive blow in the Vosges. Overwhelmed by the cessation of the marketing of its Vittel water in Germany, Nestlé Waters announced on Tuesday the elimination “by the end of the year” of 171 positions on its Vosges site, or a quarter of the 721 jobs. “This is very bad news for the territory and for Vittel in the broad sense of the term”, reacted Franck Perry, the LR mayor of Vittel, evoking “a knife stroke (…) to the attractiveness of our territory”.
The project, which has just been announced to employees, “is both industrial, organizational and social” and aims to maintain the competitiveness of the site which produces Vittel, Hépar and Contrex waters, and is located “on a segment of extremely competitive platforms,” said a spokeswoman for the group. It “would lead to the reconfiguration of our production lines” in Vittel-Contrexéville, where 721 people currently work, “with a net impact of 171 job cuts by the end of the year”, she said. added. With this social plan, the workforce should reach 550, a historically low level. According to a former union delegate, 2,100 employees were still working at the factory in 2005. “Since then, between modernization of production and lower volumes produced, it has not stopped falling,” he said.
“We are for the preservation of groundwater and for ecology, but we must find a balance with economic activity and this balance has been undermined by ideologues”, denounced Franck Perry, pointing to the report in July 2021 of the parliamentary inquiry chaired by LFI MP Mathilde Panot on “the seizure of water resources by private interests and its consequences”. “A policy of undermining” which, according to him, “spread in Germany” and caused Vittel water sales to fall there.
Discontinuation of marketing in Germany
According to the spokesperson for Nestlé Waters, this reorganization project “is essentially motivated by the decision taken in 2022 to stop the marketing of Vittel in Germany”, which led to “a significant reduction in the volumes produced” in the Vosges. Another difficulty facing the ore carrier: “the climatic conditions”, which affect the operating conditions of the waters of certain boreholes, she continued. Already at the beginning of May, Nestlé Waters had announced the indefinite suspension of two of the six boreholes on its Vosges site dedicated to Hépar water due to the vagaries of the weather. Added to the cessation of sales across the Rhine, this suspension mechanically “amplified a little more the drop in volumes produced on the site”, explained the spokesperson.
According to the daily Vosges Matin, these two boreholes alone represent “60% of the production” of Hépar water, known for its high magnesium content. “Our priority (…) is above all” to support the employees “throughout the process” and Nestlé Waters “will do everything possible to minimize the social consequences of this project”, insisted the spokesperson. The company intends in particular to limit “forced departures as much as possible” and will offer “end-of-career development solutions” and “internal mobility”, she indicated.
A “revitalization program” not yet revealed
“We are aware of our major role (…) in the region. We will continue to get involved in the economic and social fabric, in collaboration with the local authorities to minimize the impact on the employment area, “she continued, referring to a” revitalization program “of which she does not did not immediately give details. Nestlé Waters has the “desire to ensure a future” for the Vosges site “by identifying the best development opportunities for our brands” and by pursuing “commitments in terms of environmental protection and preservation of water resources”. , further assured the spokesperson for the group, a major provider of jobs locally but also widely criticized for its impact on the water reserves of the sector.