BNP Paribas wants to open its branches later, employees on strike

This is quite unusual at BNP-Paribas, a bank known for its low conflictuality: branch employees were invited to go on strike Tuesday (October 13) throughout France, at the call of the five main unions of the company .

Among their subjects of discontent: the project to reorganize opening hours launched at the beginning of the year by the management (therefore before the health crisis).

An initiative that other banks are watching closely ...

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Bank: are the agencies condemned?

Agencies open until 7 p.m. to be able to welcome clients who are leaving their work

More branches are also open on Saturdays: this is what BNP Paribas management wants.

Warning: this will not be in a uniform mode.

What is valid in large cities is not valid elsewhere and each agency is a specific case.

But the plan is clearly to review the opening hours and, therefore, the working hours.

And that's what gets in the way for the unions.

In some agencies, the reorganization could lead to a return to 35 hours per week with the abolition, suddenly, of RTT days.

Richard Pons, CFDT delegate, considers that behind the screen of better customer service, management is actually aiming for cost reduction.

"Here is now a third lever for savings"

"The schedule changes will save tens of thousands of days of RTT per year without compensation for employees and with complications for their family life. Until now, we were entitled to agency closures (a sixty per year), to downsizing. Here is now a third lever for savings: the reorganization of working hours, "denounces the trade unionist.

Nothing is set in stone yet, says management.

Consultations are continuing.

The subject, in any case, is watched with interest by other banks.