by Gilles Guillaume
PARIS, Jan 31 (Reuters) – Stellantis could cut up to 1,400 additional jobs in France this year through voluntary departures, a similar number to the departures recorded in 2021 through RCC measures (Ruptures Conventionales Collectives), three companies told Reuters. union sources.
According to a document that Reuters was able to consult on Monday on the eve of a new round of discussions on wages and employment, the results of the latest RCC measures show 1,380 departures as of December 31, mainly through senior leave or secure mobility.
Stellantis explains in the document that it must continue to adapt its workforce “in a context marked by the technological transformations to be accompanied” – end of thermal, boom in electricity and software.
During negotiations, expected to last part of February, the manufacturer born from the merger between PSA and FCA should propose to renew the RCC measures in 2022, three union sources told Reuters, according to which a similar number of people should be covered this year.
“We are heading towards a renewal of the measures identically,” said one of them. “1.300-1.400 is an average that we should find again this year.”
No comment could be immediately obtained from Stellantis.
A year after the creation of the Franco-Italian-American giant, any social discussion in a geographical part of the company is watched closely in the other countries of the group, while the general manager Carlos Tavares has become a master in the art of improve margins and reduce costs, at PSA and then at Opel-Vauxhall.
Tavares reiterated in mid-February that he wanted to avoid factory closures and layoffs in Europe if possible, while warning of the need to further gain in competitiveness to offset the additional costs of electrification.
“I’m afraid that the switch to electric is a windfall effect to continue to reduce the workforce of the French part. We have already lost more than 30,000 people in 13 years,” said Christine Virassamy, CFDT representative.
According to his union, the French workforce of the former PSA has shrunk from around 77,000 people in 2007 to 42,500 in 2020.
From Tuesday, the trade unions will also fight to obtain the maximum number of hires.
“The workforce is decreasing, but we want the departures to be replaced as best we can so that the workload of those who remain does not become unbearable”, added Anh-Quan Nguyen, representing CFE-CGC.
According to the document prepared for the discussions, the state of progress of the recruitments in CDI on the perimeter PSA Auto gives a general total of 273 recruitments on December 31 last. (Gilles Guillaume, edited by Tangi Salaün)