The management of the Stellantis automotive group announced on Friday November 24 the gradual transfer of 170 employees, including 56 in France, to Kyndryl, a company specializing in IT services. Around fifteen people from the Bessoncourt site (Territoire-de-Belfort) are affected.
“It’s experienced by everyone as a trauma.”
The words of Jean-Paul Guy, substitute central union delegate of Stellantis France for the CFTC, are strong. They reflect the unease created by the announcement, on Friday November 24, of the transfer of nearly 170 employees of the automobile group to Kyndryl, an American computer company resulting from a split from the IBM group.
“Stellantis is in discussions with Kyndryl to enter into a strategic partnership to manage certain business operations such as networking, data center support and ICT proximity services in Europe, North America and South America” , confirms the communications department of the automobile group, which specifies that around 170 employees are affected, including 140 in Europe and 56 in France.
“Stellantis employees currently involved in the mentioned business operations will be gradually transferred to Kyndryl in accordance with local labor laws once negotiations are finalized,” the management spokesperson continues.
The situation is “unbelievable”, denounces the Force Ouvrière union in a press release. “It’s still part of the know-how that is being saved,” regrets Eric Peultier, from FO.
There are not thousands of people but they are still employees of the group. That’s two services in 3 months. How far will we go?
Jean-Paul Guy
Alternate central union delegate CFTC Stellantis France
“We have the feeling that French employees are paying a high price. Apart from any social dialogue, we are eliminating entire sections of the company,” laments Jean-Paul Guy. The representative of the Christian union, who works in Vesoul, says worried about the future: “After the “catalogue referencing” service of the tertiary center in September, which concerned around thirty people, it is once again the white-collar workers who are toasting. Everyone has the fear of saying who’s next?’”
“This is only the beginning,” confirms an employee of the IT department. “We are afraid that management will cut up all the services one after the other.”
Stellantis is not parting with its IT.
Stellantis France management spokesperson
The management of Stellantis wants to be reassuring: “There is no project to outsource IT, but a project to transfer 16 employees from Bessoncourt to a specialized company.”
The fact remains that for a multinational like Stellantis, IT is a strategic sector. “Of course we have to keep these jobs internally,” says Jérôme Boussard, of the CGT Stellantis Sochaux. Who knows the PSA system better than PSA’s computer scientists?”
The management spokesperson intends to allay fears: “At the end of the day, there will still be 400 IT employees who still belong to Stellantis in Bessoncourt!”
The transfer of some 170 Stellantis employees to Kyndryl will be gradual.