Béziers: the distress of employees of the Casino du Polygone supermarket

L’entrée du supermarché Casino au Polygone de Béziers Midi Libre – Mathilde Jullien

En avril, le groupe Casino annonçait un plan social concernant 3 000 postes selon les syndicats. Ce plan social n’intègre pas les salariés du supermarché Casino du Polygone, qui ont appris la fermeture prochaine du supermarché, et se sentent laissés-pour-compte.

Because it belongs to a separate legal entity from Distribution Casino France, the Polygone supermarket – which has only 20 employees – will not be affected by the group's social plan. While the store is indeed a wholly-owned subsidiary of Casino, it is officially under management. That is to say, the group has bought the business from its former franchisee, while waiting to find a new buyer, who is still waiting. This wait and the lack of visibility on their fate cause dismay among employees. “We are completely in the dark”, explains Dorian Blanquefort, skilled worker:

“We are not concerned by the social plan, we feel invisible.”

“We have”no news about the future of the store. We don't know if it's being taken over, if it's closing completely, if there's a buyer in sight. This store, which is being carried, doesn't appear on any list. The employees integrated into Casino are affected by a social plan. They will be supported after their redundancy, to find a job. We're not part of it, we feel invisible.”

The store management has no information, nor does the regional management of the Languedoc basin, which refers to the head office. This lack of clear direction makes employees fear that no buyer will come forward and that the adventure will end without even the shadow of an official dismissal, which would push them to appeal to the industrial tribunal.

“The regional director tells us that he hopes that we will be part of the social plan, but all this is hypothetical. Even the Casino group unions have no idea of ​​our fate and according to them we are not on the lists”.

A store in slow motion, demoralized employees

With shelves emptying before our eyes, without being restocked, a gloomy atmosphere now punctuates the days of the supermarket employees. "In the store, we all talk about it, every day", relates the skilled worker : “There is irritation, irritability, stress. Many have gone on sick leave due to physical problems, and are mentally exhausted by this wait. There were about twenty of us, now there are less than ten, and we are getting by as best we can. Deliveries have reduced, we have the bare minimum in reception, we can no longer order products, except for packs of water. Some have been there for years, are attached to the store and its customers, have made their life in Béziers, with credits… We don't want to resign"

Despite their appeal to the staff representatives and the regional management, the fate that awaits the Casino employees remains a mystery. According to Simon Menant, director of Polygone Béziers: “To date, we have no communication to transmit, the lessee is still in place”.

Contacted, the regional director responsible for the Languedoc basin did not wish to answer our questions and referred us to the management of the head office, unreachable at the end of the afternoon. I subscribe to read the rest