General strikes closed French Carrefour Markets … again

About two thirds of the 540 French Carrefour Markets were faced with a strike last Saturday. Market employees demand the same salary and conditions as their colleagues working in hypermarkets.

(3)50 stores closed to demand equal pay

Laurent Lamaury, delegate of the communist CGT union, claimed the strike was “a major success, especially in the Paris region.” He claims that “300 to 350 stores have been closed, either a few hours or all Saturday long” – however the direction maintains that only 50 stores had been closed.

“For us it is simple”, said CGT-spokeswoman Fatiha Chalal to Reuters. “Same group: same salary. The management’s offer is unacceptable, especially because of the high profits in our Group.”

“We offered a 7% raise”

The management responded in the French Sunday papers, claiming that “we have done a considerable effort for our 32,000 employees.” He pointed to the 2,5% raise in salary, an additional 10% reduction on purchases in the Carrefour stores and the introduction of luncheon vouchers. Employees will see their purchasing power rise 4%, which is twice the French inflation. For two thirds of our employers, the rise will be up to 7%”, he added.