The strike against the sale of Doliprane production sites in France was renewed on Tuesday in Lisieux (Calvados), but suspended in Compiègne (Oise), union sources have learned.
Doliprane, the best-selling drug in France, may come under the control of the American investment fund CD&R: the pharmaceutical group Sanofi formalized on Monday its choice to sell it 50% of its subsidiary Opella which produces the painkiller. This sales proposal arouses strong emotion in public opinion and the political class because it is a basic drug used by a large number of French people to relieve pain and fever.
“The strike is renewed today (Tuesday) following the employees’ vote, because we do not have additional elements and the answers provided in recent days” regarding the safeguarding of employment and production on French territory “are not satisfactory”, Johann Nicolas, delegate of the CGT Opella of the Lisieux site, on strike since Thursday.
“We will do the same tomorrow, we will have the visit of Olivier Faure on site”, added the trade unionist of this site dedicated to the production of Doliprane which has 250 jobs, assuring that “other Sanofi sites are on strike today” support, Ambarès, Sisteron, Aramon and Maisons-Alfort.”
Sanofi management announced on Tuesday that it counted “42 strikers in all Sanofi factories in France (including those in Opella), including 33 in Lisieux” and “9 in the Vitry site”, in the Paris region. According to Sanofi this movement “has no significant impact” on the production of Doliprane.
Start of negotiations
In Compiègne (Oise), a general assembly took place on Tuesday morning, according to Adil Bensetra, deputy coordinator of the CFDT of Sanofi Compiègne, and another in the afternoon. For the moment “we will not renew the mobilization”, he explained, before warning that “from next week, [ils allaient] start negotiations and if things didn’t go well, if there was a loss of social gains, there would be a new mobilization.”
The public investment bank Bpifrance will participate in the capital of this company for a share of “1-2%”, or “between 100 and 150 million euros”, according to its general director Nicolas Dufourcq. The tripartite agreement between the State, Sanofi and CD&R, announced on Sunday evening by the government, provides for “the sustainability of the production sites in Lisieux and Compiègne”, the maintenance of the headquarters and research and development activities in France, and the protection of employment.
Completion of the transaction is expected no earlier than the second quarter of 2025.
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