Brico Privé management reopens dialogue, employees maintain pressure

Blockage of the Eurocentre logistics site this Monday April 8 in the morning, demonstrations in front of Toulouse Intermarché stores and on the Place du Capitole last weekend… Brico Privé employees want to be heardwhile a PSE was launched last January by ITM Équipement de la Maison, subsidiary from the Les Mousquetaires group notably bringing together Bricomarché, Brico Cash and Bricorama, which bought the Toulouse site in 2020.

Management speaks of “significantly improved” proposals

On Wednesday April 3, the general director of this subsidiary, David Collas, was present in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne) for a CSE meeting. If all parties agree that the dialogue has resumed after weeks of tension, linked in particular to a potential takeover offer, the management’s proposals, “significantly improved”, according to Laurent Pussat, the president of ITM Équipement of the House, have failed to calm the anger of the 174 employees, mobilized for several weeks. According to the latter, it will be difficult to agree on supralegality. “We offer between one and a half and four and a half months of salary, depending on seniority, with an increase for those over 55 and recognition of the status of disabled worker (RQTH),” he explains, while staff representatives ask for 15,000 euros per year of seniority.

“We only found an agreement on training,” confirms Karoline Vitrant, staff delegate and CSE representative, who was however able to inform employees of the conditions of the PSE after the lifting of the confidentiality clause. For her, the measures remain below expectations and, above all, “not up to the standards of a group which achieved €53 billion in turnover and 10% growth in 2023”. “For reclassification leave, we ask for 12 months for those over 45 and RQTH at 80% of gross salary, where management offers 8 months for those under 35 and 14 months for those over 55, at 75% of the gross,” explains Karoline Vitrant, for example. Aid for business creation and the supra-legal compensatory allowance are also not sufficient in the eyes of employees.

“We have already done PES for certain Bricorama stores and there is consistency,” points out Laurent Pussat. Aware of the difference between legal obligations and the feelings of Brico Privé employees, he recalls that in the absence of a union delegate, validation of the PSE will fall to Dreets. “They will look at the legal aspect, namely the proposals for support, internal or external reclassification, mobility assistance… However, we want to find an agreement with the CSE for an exit from above,” says the president of ITM Home Equipment. “For certain employees, we remain below the Professional Security Contract,” retorts Karoline Vitrant.

A recovery still possible?

If Laurent Pussat understands the concern and anger, he assures that he wants to “do things in a respectful manner” and expects the same thing from employees. “I find it damaging to sabotage the Racetools working tool, by blocking logistics or preventing computer transfers. It’s not very moral,” he argues. This company specializing in the online distribution of portable power tools for craftsmen, bought in 2017 by Brico Privé, is not affected by the PSE.

There remains the possibility of a takeover, since Les Mousquetaires have a firm offer from the investment fund BJ Invest. A meeting is planned for April 11 in Toulouse to present it to the CSE. “We wanted to verify the economic and social solidity of this offer. If not all employees are retained at the end of the takeover, we would like the departure conditions to be equivalent to the agreement that will have been reached with the CSE or validated by Dreets,” specifies Laurent Pussat. Will this position be enough to convince the employees, who seem determined to put pressure on to obtain what they expect, while the end of the negotiations is currently set for May 6?