Strike action has begun at ST following a decision by management not to give a rise to all employees, despite recording Q3 revenues 27.8% up on Q2 for a gross profit of $1 billion and a forecast of 12% sequential profit for Q4.

The three main unions at ST (CAD, CFDT and CGT) have called a strike at all ST sites from today.

 In Crolles, some employees went on strike last night. On the morning shift there were 60 strikers and on the mid-day shift about 150. CAD expects to see 200 on strike for the night-shift.

“On Wednesday October 28, 2020, ST management showed incredible contempt for ST employees and their work by not recognising the efforts made by employees by deciding not to increase them this year, with some exceptions,” says CAD, ‘management does not recognise at all the efforts requested and made by its employees during confinement.”

CAD goes on to say that ST management treats its workers as mougeons (a hybrid of sheep and pigeons) by getting them to pay for the costs of COVID.

“Management justifies this non-increase, among other things, by the €16.9 million additional costs due to anti-COVID measures, including $6.4 million euros for COVID premiums and compensation in the factory,” says CAD, “it thus confirms the fears of the CAD to know that these bonuses distributed during confinement would be recovered from the wages of all employees, and in particular from the wages of other employees who do not work in the factory or who could no longer work there.”

“It is absolutely indecent that the management of ST also directly and openly funds the measures against COVID by the employees themselves,” concludes CAD.

Meanwhile the CGT union points out  that the 100 senior executives of ST in France receive on average € 200,000 per year with € 50,000 free shares.