The strike which has paralyzed the Alsatian partition specialist Clestra since the beginning of July continued on Tuesday after an unsuccessful meeting at the Ministry of Industry, but new “bilateral” discussions should be held on Friday, we learned from management and the CGT. “The management of Unterland Metal (new name of Clestra Metal, Ed) regrets that the round table” organized “in Bercy in the presence of representatives of Dire (Interministerial Delegation for Business Restructuring) and the CSE of the company n ‘has made any progress,’ she said in a statement sent to AFP, saying she was determined “to ensure the sustainability of the company’s activities”.
“The payment of strike hours requested by the staff representatives” remains one of the “blocking points”, continues the management, while the company “has been facing financial difficulties for more than 10 years” and that ” activity forecasts (…) have been undermined by the two-week strike” at the end of 2022 and that which has been running since July 3. According to the CGT, “more than 90%” of the 140 employees of the factory based in Illkrich-Graffenstaden (Bas-Rhin) have stopped working. They fear the dismantling of the company and demand guarantees on the maintenance of employment and activity as Jestia, the family group which took over Clestra at the end of 2022, had, according to them, committed to it.
The exchanges with the leaders of the company were “very tense”, indicated the CGT in a press release. They highlighted “the catastrophic situation” of the company, with cash “which can still hold until the end of the month” and “a risk of bankruptcy”, explained to AFP Amar Ladraa, elected CGT of the CSE, present at the round table and according to which the strike is continuing.
The representatives of the State, who “wish a social peace agreement as soon as possible”, have “asked the management to formalize in writing the conditions for the resumption of activity and, it is up to us, to send them our demands “said the trade unionist. According to Amar Ladraa, “the cabinet of the Ministry” of Industry told CSE elected officials that new discussions would take place on Friday, this time “bilateral” between the state and management on the one hand, and another, the State and the CSE. This new round of discussions could “lead to a second round table”, he added, judging “urgent to find a solution to the conflict”, with strikers without wages since the beginning of July.
“We are not aware of the organization of bilateral meetings at this stage”, however indicated the management to AFP. “La Dire will ask the CSE for the demands of the striking employees and clarifications from both parties,” she added. On Wednesday, the strikers will receive the support of several LFI deputies, including Mathilde Panot, leader of the Insoumis in the Assembly. At the end of August, the general secretary of the CGT Sophie Binet and the national secretary of the PCF Fabien Roussel came to meet them.
