It’s over for the old Burrus factory: the proposals of the staff and the unions to save all or part of the Jura site have been rejected by the management of British American Tobacco (BAT). The Boncourt pole, which employs 220 people, will close in the course of 2023.
During the consultation, the employees showed themselves ready to reorganize the whole operation of the Boncourt factory in order to improve the margins: if the British management of the group said it was impressed, it did not change its mind as much. So all of that will have been for nothing.
The group’s decision is irrevocable, with a global strategy, other sites being affected in Europe.
It was on October 27 that the tobacco company announced its intention to close the Boncourt site. But legally, he had to open a consultation period. Staff Commission and unions together, 36 people worked for more than 3 weeks to try to get BAT to reconsider its intentions.
>> Read also: Unions want to fight to save BAT jobs in Boncourt
Several waves of layoffs
“The dismissals will be pronounced, in several waves, during the course of next year,” said Yves Defferrard, of the Unia union, on Wednesday, confirming information from the RTS. The workers’ representatives indicated, however, that “considerable” improvements had been obtained on the social level, “even if a group like BAT could have given more”.
The social plan contains guarantees for the payment of allowances, includes years of seniority, offers early retirement, takes family situations into account and facilitates the search for a new job.
A delegation of 13 people worked towards this goal, with 16 rounds of negotiations. “It’s a very good social plan”, detailed Yves Defferrard, while admitting that disappointment dominates.
>> Read also: The historic Boncourt tobacco factory risks closing its doors
The blow is also hard for public authorities, BAT being one of the largest taxpayers in the canton of Jura. The municipality of Boncourt, 1200 inhabitants, has also postponed the development of its 2023 budget, to await the decision of BAT. The mayor of the town had indicated that in the event of BAT’s departure, a hole which represents 25% of the budget would have to be plugged.
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Burrus, which therefore became BAT, was founded in 1814. Between the cigarette and Boncourt, the love story lasted more than two centuries.
cab with Olivier Kurth and Célia Bertholet