A three days’ strike by employees at DS Smith's packaging plants in France began on Monday of the last week of September. A company spokesperson told Euwid that work had resumed in all of the plants on the following Thursday latest.
DS Smith's paper mills in France wer not affected, the spokesperson said. DS Smith operates 30 production plants in its Packaging division in France.
The joint strike call by the CGT, CFDT and CO unions was followed by numerous employees at DS Smith packaging plants throughout France to emphasise their demand for a purchasing power bonus of €2,500 and a reclassification of their work. The demands also include the harmonisation of salaries between the company's various sites in France and an improved calculation of age bonuses.
DS Smith explained that the company had already responded positively to the demands of the unions and employees in the run-up to the strikes and had proposed talks at central level in October on work classification and bonuses. However, these could only take place within a framework of social and constructive dialogue and social peace. The aim is to create a social climate that is conducive to both the development of each individual and the development of the company, DS Smith says.
The background to the strike is also the planned takeover of DS Smith by International Paper, which is causing concern among employees in France. There are fears that the takeover could lead to restructuring and site closures and jeopardise jobs.
