France: agreement signed at aeronautics subcontractor Derichebourg containing concessions from employees in return for commitment to protect jobs

The collective performance agreement signed on 12 June by Derichebourg, the aeronautics subcontractor, and the majority union FO (not including the CFE-CGC or UNSA unions, which are also present at the company) has been the subject of extensive comment in the press, most likely because of its emblematic nature. The agreement is one of the first to be reached in a sector that has felt the impact of the coronavirus crisis harder than many others and should pave the way for future agreements in other sectors. While on the one hand employees are giving up certain benefits, such as their meal allowance and the 13^th month of pay, the company has committed to there being no economic redundancies until the end of the year – according to the FO union, the firm’s management was considering 700 job cuts –  and perhaps even beyond that, if the state continues its partial activity scheme. The agreement also encourages geographical mobility. With concessions on the part of employees to maintain jobs for the signatory union, sacrifices that do not protect against layoffs for others, the subject of collective performance agreements still divides the French unions as much as ever.