only one union signed the proposal for a general salary increase for management

Among the unions representing some 15,500 Amazon France employees, only one, the CFE-CGC executives union, signed the agreement with management on Tuesday on a general wage increase of 3.5%, which the other organizations have deemed it insufficient in a context of high inflation.

“We are not signatories because this proposal remains indecent”, explains, to Agence France-Presse, Morgane Boulard, CFDT central union delegate, after a last meeting on Tuesday. But she says to herself “rather satisfied that management has not come down to a 3% increase”.

Read also: Amazon France: the failure of wage negotiations

1er-May, the various representative unions (CFDT, SUD, CGT, CAT, CFE-CGC) had indeed regretted that the management of the American giant made them ” blackmail “in their “saying that if the unions did not sign” Tuesday their proposal to + 3.5%, a 3% increase in wages would be decided unilaterally.

In the end, only the CFE-CGC signed an agreement going in the direction of a very old claim on its part on the 13and months of certain employees. After two and a half hours of negotiations, the French management of the group decided to “stay unilaterally on 3.5% increase”explained Morgane Boulard.

Unions demand 5% against inflation

“They listened to the demands of the inter-union”, abounds Hakim Taoufik, central union representative of the CAT. However, the organizations did not sign because they wanted “at least 5%, given that inflation today is 4.8% and that, whereas a few years ago the base salary at Amazon was 15% to 20% above the smic, it’s only a few cents now”.

Management has cut back on some previously existing advantages, such as the number of authorized absences without proof, which goes from three to one, “a better retirement allowance, or even flexible working hours for people who want to use a PMA [procréation médicalement assistée] »detail Morgane Boulard and Hakim Taoufik.

In a statement, management said “pleased to confirm Amazon’s attractive salary increase proposal, which[elle pensait] well positioned for [ses] employees and which will be implemented within [ses] eight distribution centers, as well as other financial measures”. Among these measures: a status of supervisor for computer technicians, or even end-of-year bonuses maintained, the same source specifies.

The social movement broke out on April 4 at Amazon’s eight logistics sites in France. The CGT had notably noted that Amazon was going “to charge 5% tax to its sellers to deal with the increase in fuel”but refused “to give 5% to its employees so that they can cope with the increase in fuel”.

The American giant made 33 billion dollars [31 milliards d’euros] earnings in 2021, although inflation and shortages weigh on its economic outlook for 2022.

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The World with AFP

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