The industrial transfer of La Provence is causing a stir in the printing workshops. The presses at the historic La Provence printing works in Marseille have been at a standstill since Saturday May 3. Following a call from the Filpac-CGT union, print shop workers have embarked on an indefinite strike, in response to the announcement of a job-saving plan (PSE) covering 72 positions, including 51 in the print shop. According to the union, this PSE is "brutal and one-sided" .
A social conflict surrounding the transfer of printing
Management justifies this restructuring by the scheduled closure of the historic Marseilles site in the autumn. As the building was to be sold, this closure had been decided even before the acquisition of La Provence by CMA CGM in 2022, recalls Jean-Christophe Tortora, Managing Director of CMA Médias, in Le Figaro .
Initially, a joint printing project with Nice Matin in Le Muy had been considered. However, in the absence of planning permission, this was abandoned in favor of a takeover of the MOP (Méditerranée Offset Presse) printing works, located in Vitrolles, some thirty kilometers from Marseille.
This structure, which prints La Marseillaise could absorb the production of La Provence .
Unions say reclassification promises insufficient
The management of La Provence ensures Le Figaro 25 reclassification proposals have been made, some within MOP, others in other CMA CGM entities.
But Filpac denounces a lack of guarantees for all employees, a stalled social dialogue and a real risk of casualization. The union's May 3 press release refers to "a social break-up imposed without any real dialogue "and a "masked disengagement strategy and claims "the opening of genuine negotiations on the future of the company".
The strike continues with no immediate end in sight. For lack of printing, La Provence as La Tribune Dimanche refer readers to their digital versions. Mobilization could intensify as we approach May 12, the date set for the formal launch of the PES.
