Baptiste Morin, edited by Laura Laplaud 1:37 p.m., September 01, 2022
Faced with the rise in energy prices, companies are forced to slow down their production, under penalty of losing profitability, and are putting part of their employees on partial unemployment.
This is the case of the crystal factory of Arc France, in Pas-de-Calais, which put 1,600 employees on partial unemployment from this Thursday.
Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne reassures once again this Thursday morning that there will be no restrictions on gas for individuals this winter.
The only possible cuts would concern companies that consume a lot of energy.
Precisely, this type of company is particularly suffering from the massive rise in energy prices.
Some are even forced to slow down their production or risk losing profitability.
This is the case of the prestigious crystal factory of Arc France, located in Pas-de-Calais.
Some of the employees are on partial unemployment today.
>> Find Europe Midi in replay and podcast here
A bill multiplied by four
1,600 employees, out of the 4,600 in the crystal factory, will stay at home two days a week from this Thursday, and at least until the end of this year.
The cause: the multiplication of the gas bill by four in one year.
The crystal factory paid 19 million euros in 2021. It will pay 75 million euros this year and it could well pay more than 260 million euros in 2023, just for gas.
Because to produce its glasses, the crystal factory uses ovens, ovens that heat up to more than 1,300 degrees.
Ovens that are gas powered and impossible to shut down overnight.
In an emergency, the company therefore chooses to put part of its employees on partial unemployment.
She's not the only one.
Duralex will also place all of its employees on partial unemployment.