• During the last meeting of the ELF EP Company Committee (a legal instance in France where the Unions watch the company activities), the CFDT union learned with stupefaction that the 350 jobs hire she thought she gained with the signature of the Time Reduction protocol (a very poor agreement also endorsed by the CFTC union) were actually planned long before as mandatory by the management. They signed for nothing !!
  
  
• In the struggle between the Company and the workers to keep the Pau research Center within an official mining area (which guarantees to the workers the benefit of the Miner's Statute, one of the best protection available in France), the French government decided to help… the company. The Prefect, acting as local representative of the government, decided the removal of the official mining area. This decision was ruled out by the Administrative Court, but the government now appealed from this decision. The company Union CGT urges that such a strategic domain as Energy should return under public control.
  
  
• The merge between TOTALFINA and ELF EP is still in progress in the social realm. The CGT Union calls for a large front by the workers against the company projects in this domain. The CGT pushed the five ELF EP Unions to meet in January and June, and a larger meeting involving the six major companies within the new group (ELF Lub, EAF, TRD, TFE SA, ELF EP) resulted in a common position about the future common workers' Statute at TOTALFINAELF. Another meeting is planned for September, 10th. The management will have to face a stronger opposition now, although the CFDT union finally decided not to join.
  
  
• Several meetings are now planned with the management about the future common workers' Statute for the beginning of September : September, 3rd, about salaries, on the 7th about retirement conditions. The workers will have to push for better agreements. The CGT will contribute as much as possible.
  
  
• Severe jobs cuts are planned at EAEPF (the plant and gas field of Lacq in the southwestern France) in the firemen unit. The Lacq zone is under the "SEVESO" regulation, because of the H2S production (H2S is a highly toxic gas demanding drastic safety measures). The CGT and other unions call for the population and local representatives interventions. The company still places the money first over the population safety, with the silent agreement of the French government !!
  
  
• Still at EAEPF : the management presented at the Economic section of the Company Committee his projects for the next four years. Severe job losses are planned. The sulfur and ethylene branch will close, which implies large job cuts. A so-called "social" plan is under preparation, hundreds of jobs would be lost.

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