In the Dordogne, the Papeteries de Condat crisis is already having a serious impact on the local economy.

On Monday, September 11, when the CGT-FO and CFE-CGC interconnection of Papeteries de Condat was received in Paris by Roland Lescourt, delegate of the minister responsible for industry, Alain Gaudry, president of the Lecta France group, owner of the factory. in Lardin-Saint-Lazare (Dordogne), came out of reserve for the first time since the announcement in June 2023 of the closure of the double-sided coated paper production line, the last one left in France.

They were questioned by local journalists, and then the worldThe head of the French sector of the British giant justified the shutdown by the collapse of paper orders (- 40% in six months), and in the medium term suggests the possibility of “Converting it to meet the high demand for glass paper (specialized paper, resistant to grease, water and air, used especially for self-adhesive labels) »Other specialty Papeteries de Condat.

Locally, Alain Gaudry’s speech did not convince anyone. If the workers, who had been blocking the entrance to the factory for seventeen days, agreed to free access on Wednesday, September 13, it was only because “Management has agreed to cut the severance pay of 187 people who were at risk of losing their jobs after the end of the Social Protection Plan (PSE), which ends on 11 October.Explains Emmanuel García, elected to the Force Ouvrière in the Economic and Social Council (CSE) of Papeteries de Condat, which has 412 positions. “The rest, we no longer believe”confides CGT delegate Eric Pesturi, as a new negotiation meeting with management will take place on Wednesday, September 20.

“Rediscover Confidence”

The same pessimism was evident among subcontractors at Papeteries de Condat, in a residential area where the unemployment rate exceeds 8%. “It’s hard to believe that this will happen again “confides Damien Freudefond, staff representative at SVT, an SME that was encouraged to set up by Papeteries as part of its policy to outsource covered paper processing.

For six months, his own factory barely worked. “We started with one week of partial unemployment in October, then increased to two at the beginning of the year, before settling down to zero, with a maximum of one or two days of work per month in late spring.”A 38-year-old employee who cannot see the end of the tunnel is described in detail. “We are bound by an exclusive contract with Papeteries that runs until October 2024. While the company’s PSE is ongoing, we are condemned to partial unemployment.”continues Damien Freudefond, who is unable to resolve this unpleasant situation. “It is true that we are paid 84% of the salary, but the sooner we can find one or more clients freely, the sooner we will find assurance.” »