The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Retail Retail Trade, Except Of Motor Vehicles And Motorcycles Retail Sale Of Other Household Equipment In Specialised Stores 47.52 - Retail sale of hardware, paints and glass in specialised stores
409 - 573 jobs Number of planned job losses
102 jobs Number of planned job creations
Announcement Date
13 February 2018
Employment effect (start)
1 May 2018
Foreseen end date
30 June 2019
Description
The British Kingfisher distribution group confirmed to its central works council the cut of 409 jobs in its two network of stores in France, Castorama and Brico Dépôt. The reorganisation announced last fall will result in 321 job cuts at Castorama and 88 in Bricot Dépôt. In addition, 164 transfers of posts are planned, mostly to another legal entity of Kingfisher in France, without geographical mobility. At the end, if all employees refused, it would raise the number of job cuts to 573. Out of the total 409 job cuts, 242 are related to positions in Castorama stores. Positions affected by the cuts are in logistics, sales and HR.
According to the management 'everyone will be offered an internal reclassification in their store', said Kingfisher 's press release. The other positions eliminated are at the headquarters (Templemars in the department of Nord for Castorama and Longpont-sur-Orge for Brico Dépôt) and in the warehouses of the two brands. For Kingfisher, this is 'accelerating its digital transition' and 'improving its operational efficiency'.
The reorganisation is particularly opposed by the unions because it provides for the creation of a shared services centre in Poland to manage its financial transactions and accounting activities, which will be consolidated in Krakow.
The group announced also 102 job creations (49 at Castorama and 53 at Brico dépôt).
Kingfisher employs 13,000 people at Castorama (102 stores) and 8,000 at Brico Dépôt (121 stores).
Sources
13 February 2018: France 3 Région
13 February 2018: Les Echos
Citation
Eurofound (2018), Kingfisher, Internal restructuring in France, factsheet number 93260, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/93260.
Digitisation and automation technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), can affect working conditions in a variety of ways and their use in the workplace raises a host of new ethical concerns.
The retail banking sector is fertile ground for studying the impacts of digitalisation on work and employment. Financial services are increasingly provided online, without the intermediary of customer-facing institutions.
European labour markets have recovered strongly from COVID-19. By the end of 2021, little more than 18 months after the start of the pandemic, employment rates in the EU were almost at pre-crisis levels.
