Cleavage that has occurred throughout the conflict

April 1 at Grenoble, four leaders of the American Group of Caterpillar construction equipment leaving jeers and the throwing of eggs the premises where they were sequestered during 24 hours. From traits and their chiffonnés costumes reflect a difficult night, where, on a background of rap music, insults, sputum and the vexations were not spared them. More serious, employees took their addresses and threaten to take their families: "We know very well where they live." "Me, I have enough hit, this week", fanfaronnera even an employee before journalists. How could a social conflict slip to the point of achieving such ends

Since the beginning, under the codified language of Union representatives, to guess a latent violence, ready to explode. Over the weeks, all attempts at negotiation ended in failure. The fault of a branch with no room for manoeuvre and could only apply the recommendations of its American parent Or that of a divided Inter-Union without charisma These elements were able to play. But not to the point of explaining what has become "the" iconic conflict of a France in a recession.

"Cater" someday, "Cater" always

When Caterpillar announced in January, its willingness to eliminate 5,000 jobs, including 600 and 733, at its Grenoble, the shock is terrible. Because, since three years, plants turn at full speed. Never the growth had been strong: more than 500 temporary workers were hired and employees were more concerned about "meet the criteria of productivity and the health of the global economy", said Thierry Grange, Director of the Ecole de management of Grenoble. "Breast of a staff of Petri culture of a growing company, the announcement of the social plan will cause shock cultural and even, in some, true despair", confirms Jean-Pierre Gilquin, General Secretary of the departmental union Force ouvrière.

The basin Grenoble, where conflicts are always more explosive that, the announcement of the social plan plays as a detonator. "In the 1970s, already, Caterpillar pistoléristes bone had made the headlines by their violent actions, in a historic strike," said Raymond Avrillier, engineer in the social sciences. "Now, he says, the representatives of the employees face a dilemma: they are asked to accept job losses for that site activity continues."

The current crisis is all the more poorly experienced that "employees have always fought as some overclockers to maintain their production in Isère sites", said Thierry Grange. Performing feats in terms of productivity, to the point that the "process" of Grenoble served as model to other plants of the group. "Our challenge is to stay more competitive than the Americans", will launch a Director of human resources in 2005... In the 1980s, to avoid deletions of jobs, workers agree even to the masonry and, for months, flow through the concrete.

On the spot, "Cater" is so strong that the employees say they have "yellow blood." A sense that they share with their Director, Nicolas Polutnik: "I love this company for its code of conduct, which provides extraordinary comfort. "Despite the offers, never I have to leave", he promises. "Cater" someday, "Cater" always. Grenoble, over 200 people appear thirty years of seniority and often, sons succeed fathers... "Very young, I did an internship in Caterpillar and, for at the outset, I felt an extraordinary atmosphere, values, culture", ignites Thierry Grange. This passionate commitment to the company explains the despair felt on the site. "Beyond the portal, there is nothing", an employee, bitter loose.

An impossible dialogue

At Caterpillar, he formed a working nobility of mechanics who met with suspicion and leaders "rigoristes, practicing management in Anglo-Saxon. There is "a gap between blue-collar and white-collar", said Jean-Pierre Gilquin. Cleavage that has occurred throughout the conflict. Since the introduction of partial unemployment, late October 2008, Director of Caterpillar France wanted to associate with its approach of staff representatives. In vain. "All our requests to upstream, search for solutions to the crisis ended by denial", he says. Dialogue of the deaf at the consequences: while Belgian sites or Americans of the group have already begun their restructuring, Grenoble remains deadlocked. Confess, some days, don't know that his American leadership, Nicolas Polutnik tell even considered, before the gravity of the situation, to 1,000 the number of job losses. His warnings about the survival of the site remained dead letter and his "inaudible" arguments in the media, regretted it.

To him, an Inter-Union torn apart by internal struggles, unable to put in place a any strategy. Like Patrick Cohen, elected CGT, its members recognize "never had hand in this conflict." At the sign an agreement a day, at Bercy, without being able to approve the next day at Grenoble. Qualified of "traitors" and "sold to the ors of Bercy", Union representatives will soon turn cassocks and align with more hard, very active in the strike Committee. Of the ultras that the SGC uses when the conflict to mounting pressure and create a favourable ratio of forces. "Some 20 people have been a climate of terror, and I weigh my words", is an outside observer.

Of the "big arms" uncontrollable

Witnesses, beyond the despair of the employees and the clumsiness of the Directorate, this is perhaps the unprecedented violence of the Caterpillar conflict crystallized. Because these "big arms" would become quickly out of control. With nothing to lose because close to retirement or too recently hired, they have only strategy the increase in the "bonus to the bag." From most of social integration programmes, recently out of prison for some, they flew the conflict in their own way, with more permanent. "Every day, they wonder what they will well be talking to them in the media", said an employee. Hence the sequence of all most spectacular actions than others: burning tires, blocking the transport, local concerns, work stoppages. And this despite the orders of Union executives, who spend all their energy to channel the violence", is one of them.

Branch multiplies the recourse to justice, but the hard does not disarm. They paralyze any negotiation, for defending the unrealistic proposals such as the doubling of the envelope of the safeguarding of employment plan. For four months, the intersyndicale could never give an opinion on the safeguarding of 2,600 employees plan. In extremis, three unions (but not the CGT) are cleared in pressures to sign a framework agreement on the organisation of working time and save 133 jobs.

Psychological assistance cell

Even today, cookies are still shaken by the turn of events. "The members of the Committee of business, managers or employees who were demonstrating a contrary opinion have been continually pressures and threats", one of them says. Sometimes even death threats. "It is inadmissible, unthinkable in a democracy and I hope that this does not prefigure future conflicts," he added. In the business today, a counselling unit was opened. Stewards are in depression. Executives and members of the Committee were even asked to be protected, day and night, by the body guards... "If we weren't in Caterpillar, the site would be closed", recognizes the Director.

For the following closely, the Director of the Directorate of labour of the Isère believes that the Caterpillar conflict will open "of many avenues of reflection on the conflicts of the future". It may already threaten the integration of former convicts programs after their prison sentence. It is also the question of the economic culture of the staff representatives, and their association, upstream, to the decisions of a business.