EDF will reduce its workforce – The Figaro

The medium-term plan of the electrician is forecasting a decline in workforce of 5000 people approximately over the period 2017-2019. The unions cite the risk to the sustainability of the missions of the company.

the central Committee of enterprise (CCE) under voltage at EDF. He met Thursday morning with the backdrop of the decline in the numbers of the electrician. As soon as the meeting ended, the company issued a press release in which it formalizes information already provided by the Le Figaro.

The medium-term plan (PMT) of EDF will result by a decrease of approximately 6% of the workforce on the scope of EDF SA (that is to say, EDF in France, with the exception of its two subsidiaries RTE and Enedis). This announcement comes slightly change the initial pattern: in January 2016, EDF had communicated on a PMT, covering the period 2016-2018, and providing for a decrease of 5% of the workforce, or approximately 3,500 positions.

In the statement released Thursday, the company takes care to specify that the new PMT, as the previous moreover, there will be no layoffs sec. in other words, the electrician will use several accompanying measures in order to proceed with this reduction in workforce, not to mention the positions not renewed in the course of retirement.

In the entourage of the EDF, it also insists on the fact that the company continues to recruit for all of its activities core business. This applies in particular to engineers and technicians with in the line of sight to the renewal of skills for the operation and maintenance of all industrial infrastructure. Always in the surroundings of the company, it is specified that the PMT 2017-2019 seeks nothing less than to accompany the group in its grand strategic agenda Cape town 2030.

In the trade unions, the tone is obviously different. The social partners consider that this downsizing is particularly unwelcome at a time when the group is engaged in many major projects. Among these, EDF has already begun its program called “refit”, which aims to extend the existing nuclear power plants from forty to sixty years. A program whose cost is estimated at more than € 50 billion.

at the same time, the company works on the nuclear industry of the future. In addition to the completion of construction of the EPR of Flamanville (Manche) – the third generation reactor whose commissioning is scheduled for the end of 2018 -, EDF plans to build a first EPR in Great Britain, with Hinkley Point. An agreement has already been concluded in this sense with London. In addition, EDF has received the endorsement of the government to integrate Areva NP, which is the branch of reactors and services at Areva. Suffice to say that the year 2017 and the following promise to be extremely responsible for EDF, who will need all his skills.