Strike ends at Lacoste's French logistics subsidiary

After a week of picketing, the strike at the Solodi 2 plant in Buchères, near Troyes, France, operated by Lacoste logistics subsidiary Solodi, ended on the afternoon of February 19. The workers, who had been joined in solidarity by the employees of Solodi another store located in nearby Ecrevolles, have accepted Solodi's offer, according to information collected by FashionNetwork.com.

The bone of contention was the employees' demand for a salary increase. Workers at Solodi's two plants, in Buchères and Ecrevolles, were calling for a 4.5% wage increase and better working conditions, backed by their inter-union employee committee (which includes the CFDT, UNSA and CGT unions).

The strike severely disrupted deliveries to Lacoste end consumers, as Solodi's logistics centers added the warehouse and order picking facilities that supplied the European and Mediterranean Basin markets. The strike was suspended on Monday afternoon, after union representatives met with local authorities in Troyes, both the prefect and the city council.

That same night, Solodi made an offer to the striking workers. “The management made an offer that ended the strike, since the majority of workers accepted it: a general salary increase of 3% from January 1, an improvement in bonuses for day and night work from March 1, and a fifth day of leave after 25 years,” Ophélie Leclerc, local general secretary of the CFDT union, who was on strike with her colleagues, tells FashionNetwork.com.

Solodi also added a one-time bonus of 1,000 euros before taxes for all employees, divided into a tranche of 500 euros in the March payroll, a tranche of 250 euros in the December payroll and another 250 euros in December linked to a target of productivity. . Furthermore, according to Leclerc, “the strike schedule will be spread over several months.”

“Many are disappointed. But we are proud of the strike and the strength and tenacity we showed,” said Leclerc, an order picker who has worked at Solodi for 12 years.

Contacted by FashionNetwork.com last week, Lacoste, owned by Swiss group MF Brands (also owner of Aigle, Gant and The Kooples), said it takes “the quality of the working conditions of its employees at all locations very seriously.” of Lacoste”. ” and is “investing significantly, in Buchères and elsewhere in France, for the safety and comfort of [its] employees.”

The premium sportswear brand celebrated its 90th anniversary last year and in 2022 it recorded an “exceptional” result, generating revenues of more than €2.5 billion. The prosperous Lacoste is driving the growth of the MF Brands group and its goal is to reach €5 billion in revenue by 2026.