Since the 9th of December, the workers of the 13 factories and research centres of the materials chemistry company "Arkema" have been on strike.
During the annual salary negotiations, the workers demanded a wage increase of 100 euros. Arkema, however, only wanted to pay 50 euros. According to the union, the company had a turnover of almost nine billion euros last year, of which 1.7 billion euros were profit. The company had also promised the workers wage increases, but last year they were only 0.8%, which is 25 euros. The workers then decided to go on strike at all the sites, causing the company to lose seven million euros in sales per day. So this is not a financial issue, but a matter of principle, one trade unionist suspects. However, the workers do not want to be satisfied with the 50 euro increase offered, which is equivalent to a 1.7% wage increase, while general inflation is already at 2.8%. Theworkers feel despised by the management and reacted with a strike mobilisation never seen before in the industry. Only now, on the 21st of December, the strike was further prolonged after the company increased its offer to 70 euros, but still refused to pay the 100 euros demanded, which, according to the CGT union, would only cost the company 15 million euros.
