Potential sale of Doliprane: “If we have to stay, we will stay”, say Sanofi employees in Lisieux who have started a renewable strike

“If we have to stay 15 days, three weeks, we will stay. We are ready ,” warns Aurélie, an employee of the Doliprane production plant in Lisieux (Calvados), Thursday October 17 on France Bleu Normandie(New window)The CGT and CFDT unions have launched a renewable strike movement to protest against the proposed sale of Opella Healthcare International (OHI) – the Sanofi subsidiary that produces the drug – to an American fund.

The strike began at 5am. Around forty employees are gathered around a brazier in front of the Lisieux site, noted the journalist from France Bleu Normandie. A marquee has been set up in front of the gates. A few tires have been placed on the side “just in case”, the strikers explain. They will take turns all day. ” The afternoon team will arrive this afternoon and the evening team will take over from 9pm”, explains Frédéric Debève, central CGT union representative at Opella Healthcare International (OHI).

Ministers did not reassure: “smoke and mirrors”

“There is great concern ,” he confided. The arrival on Monday of the Ministers of Economy and Industry, Antoine Armand and Marc Ferracci, did not reassure them, quite the contrary. “We understood quite quickly that it was a smokescreen and that the State would be quite powerless in the face of the situation,” reacted Julien, a manufacturing technician. The new tenant of Bercy “is studying the possibility of taking a stake in the governance” of Opella, that is to say a presence of the State on the board of directors. “The companies that have been supported by the government of France cannot be supported under any conditions,” he explained to senators on Wednesday. Antoine Armand said he had requested an “exhaustive assessment” of the public aid obtained by Sanofi over the last ten years.

“If it’s only 1%, let’s be honest  : it’s like being a houseplant ,” grumbles a striking employee. “If the State takes a 1% share, that’s what we were told, it won’t be listened to ,” adds Frédéric Debève. The only way, according to the strikers, to force the pharmaceutical group Sanofi to back down is to “hit where it hurts: the wallet ,” explains one of them. “Every day, between 1.2 million and 1.5 million boxes of Doliprane leave the Lisieux factory. We have to show that we’re there and then block production even if unfortunately, it could lead to a shortage ,” continues Frédéric Debève.