Saverglass, a leader in luxury glassware, announced, “a reorganisation project for the Tourres & Cie plant in Le Havre, has been submitted to the social partners. The consultation will focus on possible operational adjustments as well as the permanent shutdown of one of the factory’s two furnaces.” The proposed measures could result in the elimination of up to 139 jobs.
This doesn’t come as a complete surprise, as Furnace 4 has been shut down since October 2023 due to declining customer demand. For the past 10 months, the 480 employees have been alternating periods of short-time working, and more than a hundred fixed-term employees have been dismissed. In November, Saverglass attempted to offer all group employees a 5 percent pay cut for six months to protect jobs.
The glassmaker justifies this announcement saying, “the deterioration of markets affecting the entire glass packaging sector worldwide, particularly in Europe.” They added, “The company must address the profound changes in consumption patterns that are impacting wines and spirits, as well as the implementation of customs barriers on these products. It must strengthen its long-term performance and meet new environmental expectations while facing significant overcapacity.”