A worker works on April 07, 2011 to manufacture a monohull in the production unit of the Beneteau Group in Belleville-sur-Vie.

-

F. Perry / AFP

  • The measures envisaged "would result in the closure, sale or shutdown of five sites out of 24 and a reduction in staff", announced Beneteau.

  • Before the coronavirus, the group nevertheless forecast a growth of 2% to 4% of its turnover in 2019-2020.

A new consequence of the economic crisis linked to Covid.

Boat builder Beneteau said on Tuesday it could cut up to 1,390 jobs globally, or one sixth of its workforce.

The measures envisaged “would result in the closure, sale or dormancy of five sites out of 24 and a reduction in the workforce of between 710 and 1,390 people (…) out of the 8,361 employees who were present in the group at August 31, 2019 ", He said in a statement.

The Vendée group (with 12 brands of sailing or motor boats, including Jeanneau or Lagoon) says it is facing a "strongly degraded economic environment", with in particular "the sailing and inboard engine segments (which) could experience decreases in volumes comparable to those of the 2008/2009 crisis ”.

He indicated that he had opened negotiations with a view to a long-term partial activity agreement (APLD) as well as an information-consultation procedure with a view to the implementation of employment protection plans within its entities.

"Staff reduction from 300 to 840 people"

For its boat activity, Beneteau therefore plans to close, sell or put to sleep four of its sites: two (out of ten) in France, one in the United States and one in Slovenia, he says without specifying which sites he would be.

To this should be added "slowed down activity" on three other sites, including one in France.

In this division, the job cuts would lead to a "workforce reduction of 300 to 840 people".

The group indicates that it is able "not to lay off any production operators if all the employees concerned accept the internal mobility measures that will be offered to them".

In support and design office functions, job cuts would amount to 380 to 460 people.

Closure of a site in France

Beneteau, which also builds mobile homes within its Habitat division, also intends to close one of its seven sites in France and slow down the activity of its Italian site.

"The planned overall job cuts would lead within this division to a reduction in staff from 30 to 90 people, depending on the level of acceptance of internal reclassification proposals that will be made," said the group.

In February, before the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting economic crisis, the group forecast a 2% to 4% growth in its turnover in 2019-2020 compared to the previous year.

He announced in early July that he expected sales to fall by 16 to 18%.

In its press release, Beneteau said that its activity in the last quarter "will have been slightly better than the forecast announced on July 9".

Economy

Vendée: Michelin will pay 3.7 million euros for employment following the closure of its plant

  • Boat

  • Employment

  • Coronavirus

  • Economy