One room with two ambiances. While a line of customers eager to treat themselves to the latest iPhone model stretches in front of the Apple Opera store, employees have gone on strike to demand an increase in salaries. “We are not here to prevent the sale of iPhones but to have a decent salary,” Renaud Chateauroux, CFDT union delegate, repeated to the numerous media present.
The Apple Retail France inter-union (CGT, Unsa, CFDT and Cidre-CFTC) called for a strike on Wednesday, without blockages, in the company’s twenty stores in France.
“Immense” profits
“Management proposed a 4.5% increase this summer, which is much less than the cost of living and inflation. We are asking for 7% and a freeze on recruitment. We have lost 400 jobs since the start of the year, and we do not have fewer customers,” he told AFP.
“In half a day in this single Opera store, Apple will generate the money we are asking for for all of France”, and “we are also there for our colleagues in the United Kingdom, Japan, Spain, in Italy and Australia, who cannot speak,” added Renaud Chateauroux. “The social dialogue has really changed, the tone has risen. Management tells us that we are well off, even though the profits generated by the company are immense,” added his colleague Max Leva, CGT union representative.