Striking employees began an occupation of the Le retour à la Terre store (Biocoop network) avenue Philippe Auguste in Paris on Friday evening, secretary of the South Commerce and services union of Ile-de-France Hichem Aktouche told AFP.
According to him, employees of the two Parisian stores Le retour à la Terre have been on strike occasionally once a week for 3 months to demand the cancellation of the opening project on Sunday and "the recognition of their efforts and their work, in particular following during the confinement period when attendance at Biocoop stores increased by more than 30% ”.
The strike affects “about fifteen employees” according to him, a number which is decreasing because “several have been made redundant”.
The movement is also asking for their reinstatement.
Saturday, the store was still busy with a banner "end of the world, end of the month same fight, biocoop in struggle" blocking the entrance.
"Mediation was proposed in July and refused by the strikers," Biocoop said in a statement.
The cooperative insists on the "disproportion" of the occupation action, carried out "by 30 people including 5 employees (out of 60 employees returning to Earth)".
The Biocoop network brings together 623 organic stores, employing around 6,300 people.
Asked last September about this strike movement, its president Pierrick de Ronne had mentioned "tensions" in these two "independent" stores.
"This is not a systemic subject, it is not about Biocoop's social policy," he told AFP, regretting that "the employees did not call on Biocoop mediation, which is compulsory. if 20% of employees request it ”.
Biocoop is in the running for the takeover of part of the Bio C'Bon stores, opposite Carrefour, from the family Zouari (shareholder of Picard) and Auchan.
