French poultry giant Doux cuts 647 jobs

On a board meeting held yesterday morning, the group management poultry of Doux, located at Châteaulin (Finistère), announced to staff representatives to open a procedure for informing and consulting on a proposed new industrial organization of its fresh poultry meat activities in France.

More specifically, facing major losses, Europe’s leading poultry firm (€1.517 billion turnover in 2007) will close three of its production sites.

The region of Morbihan is particularly hard hit with two factories involved in the project “rationalization and strengthening productivity.”

In Locminé, where Doux has a very long tradition in processing turkeys 451 people lost their job. Most of these jobs are low skilled, with a significant proportion of couples working in the same factory.

A few kilometers away, the small town of Pleucadeuc is also affected because of the closure of a duck processing facility. For the 63 people who work there, the shock is great, especially since Doux was present since 1971.

Finally, in Chatelet management decided to close a broiler processing facility which employs 133 people.

“The French market represents 37% of our turnover. It is therefore very important. In these difficult times, we must do everything to preserve our market share. It is to safeguard the fresh poultry activity in France,” explains Doux management.

A new meeting is scheduled between management and staff representatives on July 22. Employees of the three sites concerned have decided to strike today. But unions are not very surprised: “It’s clear  that the situation at Doux is perilous since Europe has announced that it ceased refunds, “said Herve Goachet, departmental secretary of the CFDT Finistère.

At Guerlesquin, in the Finistère, the situation at Doux’s subsidiary Tilly is also worrying.