After 44 days of strike in the USA, launched by the powerful United Auto Workers (UAW) union, the American employees of Stellantis won their case. The Franco-Italian-American group Stellantis is doing wonderfully financially. In Sochaux, in Doubs, we hope for significant salary increases in the coming months.
In front of the gates of the Sochaux factory, it’s time to leave. Some employees closely followed the strike in the USA. “We have to do the same, we have to have a piece of the cake all the same, given the profits they make, it would be good if they shared a little bit” says an employee to our journalist Sarah Francesconi. “There’s a bit of discussion in the workshops. The pressure is building a little. It doesn’t take much to get it started,” says the man. “Increasing salaries is a necessity” adds another Stellantis employee. Others seem less enthusiastic about embarking on a strong and long strike. “Me, personally, I won’t be able to strike for 45 days, I have a loan to repay!”
On September 15, the powerful United Auto Workers (UAW) union called a strike to demand better salary conditions. The movement mobilized nearly 45,000 employees of three large manufacturers (Ford, General Motors and Stellantis).
Stellantis reached an agreement on Saturday that provides for a 25% increase in base salaries by 2028.
The manufacturer, which owns the brands Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat, Opel, Dodge, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, lost nearly 3 billion euros due to this strike in October. It nevertheless confirms its objectives for 2023 and still forecasts a double-digit adjusted operating margin. Turnover was up 7% in the third quarter, reaching 45.1 billion euros.
In Sochaux, where the 3008 is produced in particular, the unions closely scrutinized the American strike. Benoit Vernier, from the CFDT, nevertheless puts things into perspective. +25%, that seems like a lot, but nothing compares. “We know that they had a last global agreement which dates from 2019. They did not have global negotiations on salaries like we have every year. In this 25% increase, there is a part of catching up, and this is also for the next four years. So the comparison is not necessarily easy to make. Not to mention that the level of social protection is not the same in the United States” confides the Sochaux trade unionist.
For 2023, the CFDT of Stellantis Sochaux intends to ask for a minimum wage increase equivalent to inflation (Inflation has slowed down significantly. It fell to 4% over one year in October, compared to more than 6% at its highest high in February). The CFDT does not want bonuses as Carlos Tavarès’ group is accustomed to. “Bonuses are not the French social model. Everything related to health insurance, unemployment insurance depends on salary and not bonuses” adds Benoit Vernier.
If in the United States there is only one union in the automobile industry, in Sochaux, five union organizations defend the 6,000 employees of the factory. “If there is union unity and discontent, there is a way to put very strong pressure on management,” he believes.
Stellantis Sochaux employees have already seen their pay increase in recent months. At the end of 2022, the FO, CFTC and CFE-CGC unions of Stellantis had signed an agreement with management validating a salary increase of 5.3% for 2023. In February 2023, Stellantis announced record financial results committing to pay a bonus of €3,713 gross to €5,345 gross, depending on each person’s salary level, to employees of PSA Automobiles SA, which includes 90% of Stellantis’ workforce in France.