British catering giant Compass announced Thursday the loss of 1,000 to 1,500 jobs in France through voluntary departures, due to a decline in activity due to the pandemic.
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A spokesperson confirmed these figures to AFP after a recent statement from the CGT union evoking 1,300 job cuts.
"
Like all companies in the sector, the Covid-19 has a significant impact on Compass,
" said the spokesperson.
A voluntary departure plan
The group insists on the fact that it is about a “
plan of voluntary departures which will avoid layoffs and will allow our activities in France to prosper in the years to come
”.
Compass claims to have worked hard with employee representatives and unions to arrive at this solution.
The group has already announced that it has undertaken a global savings plan but has never released figures on the total impact in terms of jobs.
In the United Kingdom, for example, it reduced its workforce by 7,000 jobs.
In total, the group has 600,000 employees in 45 countries.
Its net profit was divided by almost 9 in its 2019-2020 fiscal year ended in September.
Call for mobilization on December 10
The entire sector has been hit hard by the pandemic, which has boosted teleworking and reduced demand for collective catering within companies.
The French Sodexo, a major competitor of Compass, has already announced a plan to cut more than 2,000 jobs in France.
Elior will cut 1,900 in the country.
The CGT has estimated the number of jobs threatened in this sector at nearly 10,000 in France and fears that this is only the beginning.
The union calls on employees in the sector to mobilize on Thursday, December 10 on the forecourt of La Défense, with the rallying of the CGT of cafes, hotels and restaurants.
