Posted on Apr. 13, 2020, 8:45 a.m.
An uncertain recovery. The Bosch factory in Rodez (Aveyron), shutdown since the start of confinement on March 17 after employees have exercised their right of withdrawal, should reopen on Tuesday with only 10% of the 1,350 employees. Should, because management has already requested in vain the reopening on March 25, March 30 and April 6 and it expects significant absenteeism.
The unions remain opposed to the recovery, but recognize that the management has planned this time significant barrier measures. At the extraordinary meeting of the Social and Economic Council (CSE) on April 8, she announced the use of masks, hydroalcoholic gel, the temperature reading of employees, the distance of one meter, the disinfection of machine keyboards , Etc.
An order to honor
As of March 24, management had not prepared protective measures. “Then at the CSE on April 1, which was held in the presence of representatives of the administration, the management proposed barrier measures but no masks or gloves, and the unions unanimously opposed the takeover,” says Pascal Raffanel, union delegate CFE-CGC. In exchange for taking days off, partial unemployment is compensated at 100% and only 250 managers and administrators alternate between unemployment and telework.
After four weeks of stoppage, the director of the establishment Patrick Meillaud announced that “on two production teams, some 140 people would come to work on Tuesday, with a peak of a hundred people at the same time on the site”. It involves fulfilling an order for injection nozzles for injectors manufactured elsewhere by Bosch and intended for two European and Chinese truck manufacturers. Then the chains of car diesel injectors and glow plugs will reopen on April 20, bringing the workforce to around 300 people depending on orders. All staff must be on deck by May 2.
Dotted future
Management has argued that the group will face heavy penalties if its customers shut down their factories for lack of components. The future of the site is dotted. With the disaffection for diesel, it closed one of the two injector lines at the end of 2019. Bosch undertook to maintain the 300 jobs concerned until the end of 2021 by financing a diversification of production. But only a hundred new jobs are identified in the long term, and the group plans to cut 515 jobs by 2025 …
This threat did not prevent employees from stopping work with the coronavirus. “There is a consensus of the unions not to give their agreement to the reopening until the peak of the epidemic is not behind us”, underlines Pascal Raffanel, of the CFE-CGC. “The state asks people to stay confined and there, we are asked to manufacture parts that are not essential in the current situation, argues Yannick Anglarès, secretary of the CGT union. There will be difficulties in respecting the distance between operators and we would not want the factory to become a cluster of coronavirus. “
However, he thinks that the recovery will take place, especially since unions can only mobilize employees on social networks. “A majority of employees are against it, but a minority is ready to resume,” said Cédric Belledent, SUD delegate. We will let the operators take a position after the first day of work in view of the protective measures. “
To note
According to Cédric Belledent of SUD, the management announced Friday internally a project to install two lines of manual manufacturing of surgical masks intended for the personnel of Bosch France, in service in mid-May. Two other lines are planned in the factories of Vénissieux and Drancy.