France, Alternative Libertaire AL #229 - Social Brain: Virgin is not dead, we still fight! (fr)

Events have accelerated in recent weeks to the thousand-employee are the Virgin brand, 
went into receivership in January. Faced with takeover bids implausible and social 
management, the struggle continues. ---- On April 8, the verdict on takeover bids of the 
Virgin banner fell: almost nothing apart from that of Rougier & Ple, specialist craft 
materials on eleven stores and 285 employees es. Management and the administrator have 
meanwhile announced the establishment of a mega social. ---- Self-organization up ---- 
Also, it is a feeling of anger that dominates and begins to crystallize in some stores: 
well, April 13, the staff of Avignon store manifested in the city center with the support 
of trade unions and political; April 16, the employee es de Marseille held a press 
conference in preparation for the resumption of their own store with the support of the 
CGT Fralib, and on 27 April, those of Rouen organized a distribution of leaflets with up a 
strike fund.

The Inter then calls for a new day of action: April 30, more than 200 employee-es, 
including several province, demonstrated outside the headquarters of Lagard?re, historical 
shareholder of Virgin, to require a matching of the hand, refused to date for future 
social plan that proves unavoidable. Lagard?re has the audacity to declare creditor while 
the sale of its shares in EADS just bring him a whopping 1.8 billion euros!

The battle, paramount, employment proves difficult: indeed, since the withdrawal of the 
offer Rougier lack of agreement with donors, only Cultura other cultural sign, remains in 
contention for only two stores and a fifty positions and Vivarte, specializing in footwear 
and clothing ...

Convergence in the cultural sector
The giant stocking, denounced by South held from May 13-'re outraged the employee who saw 
hordes of customers, including many dealers, ransacking shops, especially electronics. 
They and they claim, while some were tempted to do for themselves in this sale, the result 
of this sale go wild full funding of the social plan.

Actions succeed with success on May 22 with the invasion of the Works Council on 23 May, 
with the registered office of Butler, the principal shareholder, which has doubled its 
contribution to the social, then the same day with a rally in front of the Commercial 
Court has postponed its decision on June 10

It leaves nothing behind for the fall of Virgin looming battles for other employment, 
background processing trade sector bookstores Chapter, Fnac, whose IPO is expected this 
summer, with Darty the sale was announced, etc.., and why different militant teams must 
expand ties and knotted.

LD (South trade unionist)