For the first time in France, an industrial group will set up the long-term partial activity scheme (APLD). With this process, as well as by using early departures, the aviation group Safran, very affected by the economic crisis linked to the coronavirus, avoids the loss of 12,000 jobs.

The aeronautical and motor equipment supplier Safran, whose activity is heavily affected by the crisis caused by the coronavirus, signed an agreement with the French unions providing for reductions in the workforce, while avoiding layoffs. The group will use around 3,000 early retirements and the new long-term partial activity scheme (APLD) for 6,000 full-time equivalents (FTEs). A first in France.

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Especially that at the start, 12,000 jobs were threatened. "Very quickly we realized that we had a drop in charges of 40%. This could correspond to possibly up to 12,000 extra jobs," says Daniel Barberot, Force Ouvrière coordinator within the Safran group. 

The group, which employed 95,000 people at the end of 2019, including 45,000 in France, has already cut 10,000 jobs worldwide since the start of the crisis, through layoffs, notably in the United States, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

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"We prefer everyone to make an effort for a year"

French employees, spread over a hundred sites on the territory, escape forced departures thanks to this agreement, which runs until the end of 2021. The feeling of duty accomplished for Daniel Barberot: "We prefer that everyone world is making an effort for a year, rather than 12,000 employees staying at the door. We have negotiated this agreement so that people of retirement age can leave with incentives. "

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The agreement guarantees between 90 and 93% of the net salary to the 6,000 people in long-term partial activity. For those who wish to leave and launch a business creation project, they can count on assistance of 60,000 euros. On the management side, concessions have also been made: no dividends in 2020, less than usual in 2021, hires will not be frozen and around 400 apprentices will join Safran. A group where everyone hopes for a resumption of aeronautical activity within two to three years maximum.