Belfort. The General Electric site blocked by employees.

The General Electric site in Belfort has been blocked since last Friday by employees of the American giant’s nuclear entity who are protesting against the non-attribution of a bonus, noted an AFP journalist on Wednesday.

The General Electric site in Belfort has been blocked since last Friday by employees. However, employees can enter and exit on foot. (archives)

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Vehicles cannot enter or leave, but employees can go to the site on foot from the main gate.

The workers and technicians of this entity which manufactures the Arabelle steam turbine, intended for nuclear power plants, did not receive a bonus of several thousand euros, paid to their executive counterparts because of the good dynamics of the group’s financial results. on the second part of the year 2021, according to an internal letter.

In response to this deadlock, management summoned two CGT trade unionists to court.

Earlier this week, mediation was initiated by the State services of the Territory of Belfort. The employees demanded a 5,000 euro bonus, a bonus at the exit of each piece of equipment and the hiring of temporary workers who wanted it before the end of the year.

The management had accepted a bonus for everyone, of 150 euros, which was added to the 1200 euros of bonuses obtained in January.

“Creepy”

“It’s not worth opening negotiations for 150 euros. It’s terrifying”, denounced Monday Laurent Santoire, of the CGT.

“Big efforts have been made since January,” replies a source close to the management, who denounces the movement “of a minority”.

In a press release on Wednesday, GE Steam Power requests “the unblocking of the site so that the dialogue can resume in good conditions and in a respectful manner”.

But on Tuesday evening, the management had increased the pressure by summoning the departmental delegation of the CGT to court, as well as two members of the union, Saïd Bersy and Laurent Santoire, as part of a summary procedure.

In the summons, which AFP has consulted, the management requests the lifting of the obstacles and “the immediate expulsion of the defendants and all other offenders”.

“The more the direction hardens the tone, the more it will fuel the anger”, regrets Saïd Bersy.

On Wednesday afternoon, the strikers let a gas turbine out of the site, to “make a gesture”. “We are waiting for there to be a return,” notes Laurent Santoire.

In France, GE Steam power systems has 1,597 employees, according to the group.

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