Lacoste: French logistics subsidiary's another site goes on strike

Strike action is ongoing at another site managed by Solodi, Lacoste's French logistics subsidiary. Workers at this subsidiary, situated near Troyes, France, have been on strike for a week, and the movement has now extended to an additional Solodi location in the area. The industrial action in the Ecrevolles branch of Solodi 1 stems from a show of solidarity with the strike that started a week earlier at the Buchères-based Solodi 2 site - Capture d'écran Google Maps

All operations at the Solodi 2 site in Buchères, where Lacoste's online orders are processed and fulfilled have been at a standstill since Monday, February 12. And as of Monday, February 19, employees at the Solodi 1 facility in the Ecrevolles industrial area (which houses a long-standing Lacoste warehouse) went on strike in a show of solidarity with their fellow workers, demanding better wages and improved working conditions, supported by the enterprise's worker committee, which includes representatives from the CFD, UNSA and CGT trade unions.

The workers at Solodi want a 4.5% wage hike (an average of €175 for each employee), an increase in pay for obligatory overtime, and an adjustment in travel allowances in line with fuel price hikes. They are also demanding the introduction of menstrual leave, subject to presenting a doctor's certificate, and a scheme of voluntary overtime for those aged 55 and above.

According to CGT union delegate Frédéric Gagnon, "We have been holding the fort at the Ecrevolles location since 5:40 am today with about a dozen of us. We are exhausted, but we also think it is a difficult situation for Lacoste as no packages have made it out of the warehouse since February 12, which means customers are yet to receive their Valentine's Day orders.”

Gagnon added, "Over the weekend, we emailed a survey to the workforce and 83% of the respondents expressed willingness to continue with the strike action as they are unpleased with the management's proposals. It seems to be a question of redistributing the equivalent of a 3% universal raise, which involved siphoning off some of the increase allocated to manager's remuneration in an attempt to boost the lowest wages artificially.”

Gagnon vowed "We will persist until our demands are met. We want our voices to be heard, we want to be listened to, and most importantly, understood.” Gagnon began working for Solodi in 2017, and has spent the past two years as an order picker at the Solodi 2 facility.

In the words of Ophélie Leclerc, the local secretary-general for the CFDT union, who is also part of the protest, "In the past week, commitment to the cause has been unwavering. The sense of unity and solidarity is powerful. We are engaged in peaceful industrial action because we do not want to damage the brand's reputation. Today, we met with the Troyes deputy mayor along with other union leaders, and later this afternoon, we have an appointment with the deputy prefect.”

Leclerc, a 12-year veteran at Solodi, noted, "The quality of working conditions has taken a nose-dive in the past few years. Our warehouse is heavily automated, the frequency of workplace accidents has increased, along with sick leaves and absenteeism rates, and our tasks have become extremely monotonous. The raise we are requesting for is a tiny amount, but we are unwilling to accept the management's offer because we would be contradicting our own leadership.”

Lacoste's management, when contacted by FashionNetwork.com last week, stated that it takes “the well-being of our employees across all Lacoste facilities very seriously,” and that it heavily invests "in Buchères and in other parts of France for the safety and comfort of our staff.” The fashionable sportswear brand, which commemorated its 90th anniversary last year, and posted an "outstanding" result in 2022, with revenues exceeding €2.5 billion. In the thriving ecosystem of the MF Brands group, Lacoste is a major growth driver, targeting revenues of €5 billion by 2026.