16 November, 2009
The ICEM French trade union affiliate, the Federation of Chemical and Energy Workers (FCE-CFDT) Union, will conduct a day of action this week, 19 November, against the country’s plastics manufacturers over a long simmering wage dispute. Some 150,000 workers in plastics, employed by 3,700 big and small plastics companies, have not seen any wage increase since 2006.
Early in 2008, the employers’ federation abrogated a 2004 labour agreement which automatically gave liveable wage increases that at least matched French inflation. In the more than three years since the last pay hike, three pay grids in French plastics have fallen below the nation’s minimum wage levels.
Despite ongoing negotiations since May 2008, the employers’ grouping and French unions have been unable to reach acceptable wage standards, or a threshold on maximum seniority pay.
The manifestation will occur at 10h30 on Thursday, 19 November, in front of the Fédération de la Plasturgie, at 65 rue de Prony in Paris. A joint union-management commission charged with resolving the longstanding impasse will again meet that day.
FCE-CFDT said in a statement that many companies in the sector have profited handsomely from the three-year wage freeze, adding that thousands of workers are expected to take advantage of sick leave provisions on 19 November in plant-level protests. The union will hold a press conference on the foot-dragging by employers on Wednesday, 18 November.
Since spring 2008, several manifestations have occurred across France over the lack of a current wage accord in this sector.