Real estate development: the concern of Amétis employees leads them to take the matter to the Montpellier court

The seat of Amétis between Millénaire and Grammont. Midi Libre – JEAN MICHEL MART

The Amétis company, which produces social housing, a subsidiary of François Fontès' Hugar group, has lost many employees in two years and reduced its activity. The architect assures that things are better but the staff representatives have decided to take legal action.

Elected staff members who attack their employer before the criminal court: the procedure is not common. However, it is this so-called path of "crime of obstruction" that the members of the social and economic committee d’Amétis chose, considering themselves uninformed or poorly informed about the financial situation of their company and its strategy. 

Staff halved in two years

A legal remedy in the form of an electric shock capable of nourishing or, conversely, alleviating their concerns about their future. Amétis specializes in the production of social housing on the national territory and is part of the Hugar real estate group formed by the Montpellier architect François Fontès. She is also the owner of the Sauramps group of bookstores.
The Amétis group, which includes several regional subsidiaries, went from 156 employees present at the start of 2022 to 72 at the end of 2023. A halving of the workforce which raises questions according to staff representatives. "How in these conditions, is the sustainability of the operation ensured ?" they asked in September 2023 in an internal document."The departures of our qualified and operational staff, in a massive and brutal manner, which also ended up affecting members of management, confirm the staff's lack of confidence in the future of our group and the lack of of adherence to what is put in place by the management"  they added, recalling that they did not have the accounts of the’ company for 2022 and 2023. 

Three executives subpoenaed

This Wednesday, three of the leaders of Amétis were therefore summoned to appear before the criminal court: in addition to François Fontès, the former director of human resources Mathieu Delacroix and the former general director of the group, Christophe Pérez, also worked for Serm (equipment company for the Montpellier region, now Altémed) and left last summer.

The file considered "urgent" by staff representatives was postponed until March 4 for a procedural problem. François Fontès was not present this Wednesday but, when contacted by telephone, put the dispute into perspective. "These are people's quibbles, from employees who are on sick leave. There is nothing founded, nothing fundamental, I will have the opportunity to explain it to myself. These are internal issues that will be resolved". The architect assures that it "n&rsquo There are no difficulties regarding the solidity of Ametis. The results have been positive and, in 2024, it will be even better. There were too many staff and inadequate staff. Many wanted to leave" he specifies. 1,500 housing units must be delivered by Amétis in 2024 and François Fontès observes that the social housing production activity remains sustained, less impacted than the activity of traditional private development. It remains to convince employees of these reassuring prospects.

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