In Duppigheim in the Bas-Rhin, it is the epilogue of an arm wrestling at Knorr. Unions (CFTC, CGC and CFDT) and Unilever, owner of the plant, have reached an agreement for a Job Protection Plan (PSE) for 258 employees, the company announced on Tuesday.
After four months of negotiations, the agreement offers employees of the industrial soup site “more than 80 positions available at Unilever sites in France,” said the press release, which also mentions “530 local job offers corresponding to the skills of employees ”available to other employees.
“Allowances of 35,000 to 150,000 euros per person”
Unilever and these unions, representing 67% of union representation according to management, also agreed on a training budget “between 6,000 and 12,000 euros per person”, on paid redeployment leave “from 12 to 17 months depending on age ”and“ allowances of 35,000 to 150,000 euros per person ”. This agreement was approved by a majority of the employees during a vote, specifies the text.
The group, owner of the Knorr brand, announced at the end of March the closure of this factory, highlighting an underutilization of production capacities and an “urgent need to recreate margins”. The social and economic committee (CSE) of the factory had sued the management of the site in early July, accusing it of an “offense of obstruction” for not having informed it of the proceedings, in 2019 and 2020, on the research. a buyer, unsuccessful steps which were followed by the announcement of the closure of the site. The Knorr factory in Duppigheim employed 500 people in 2009, but the workforce has continued to decline since.