Duralex, Ethiquable, 1336… when employees all become bosses and save our French companies
When Gérard Cazorla joined the Éléphant brand factory in Gémenos (Bouches-du-Rhône) in 1992, he was far from imagining that he would one day become its president. The pachyderm of the famous brand of tea and infusion is then a local emblem known and appreciated in France. Eighteen years later, its owner – the Unilever group – decided to relocate its production to Poland, in order to generate higher margins thanks to lower wages. While our country is hit hard by the economic crisis, this closure, which plunges 182 employees into distress, quickly arouses emotion. Especially since Gérard and his people refuse to abdicate. “We occupied the factory for exactly 1,336 days,” this former CGT secretary told the works council. What allowed us to hold on were the three cancellations of social plans taken in our favor by the courts. » Convinced that the site is profitable, Gérard Cazorla and his comrades publicize the affair. To the point of winning the support of François Hollande, at the time a presidential candidate, in 2012.
Two years later, the standoff ended in victory: Unilever sold the production equipment of their former factory to its ex-employees for a symbolic euro and gave them 2.85 million euros so that they could continue the activity. “It was our main demand, the work tools were ours, they should not leave the premises,” remembers Gérard. On the other hand, employees were not allowed to keep the Elephant brand and had to invent another: “1336”, quite a symbol. Above all, they had to find a way to organize themselves to restart production. “We first thought about creating our own statute and bringing it to the National Assembly, but it was too ambitious an approach,” recognizes Olivier Leberquier, Gérard’s successor as president of the factory. We were looking for a model that did not pay money back to shareholders in the form of shares or dividends and that’s how we discovered cooperative and participatory companies. » Scop-TI was born.
The Scop: one voice, one person
Better known by the acronym Scop, these commercial enterprises differ from a classic cooperative, where the partners can be consumers, producers or other businesses, and where the employees are not necessarily partners or the majority. They have become known to the general public in recent years by allowing very popular brands to get out of the financial rut, like the organic chocolate brand Ethiquable or Duralex.
Last July, the tempered glass tableware brand, which left an indelible memory for generations of schoolchildren, avoided bankruptcy thanks to the mobilization of former employees, who took it over as a cooperative. Like all SCOPs, Duralex will now have to vote on major decisions concerning it at a general meeting. The idea of conferring the majority of capital and decision-making power to associated employees is not new: in the 19th century, the cooperative movement emerged as a counterpoint to capitalism, on the principle of “one vote, one person”. In the 1980s, the golden age of economic liberalism, the star of cooperativism faded, then regained color at the turn of the 2000s. Since then, it has continued to attract new followers. Around ten years ago, French SCOPs represented only 47,500 jobs; in 2023, this figure reached 60,056 for 2,697 companies. These companies also stand out for their resilience: five years after their creation, 79% of them are still in activity, compared to 61% for the rest of French companies.
The main thing is not the salary
The employee of a SCOP from a traditional firm quickly notices the difference. “Here, we are a family,” explains Nasserdine with a broad smile, who manages the Scop-TI online store after a whole professional life spent on the Gémenos site. This is the main thing, even if, financially, I lose. » His colleague Olivier Leberquier, now president of the company, does not shy away from the subject: “The minimum salary is 1,600 euros net when the highest salaries, those of executives, reach 2,000 euros. When we had a boss, the CEO received several hundred thousand euros each year. » At Scop-TI, the president is not a leader who is greeted, but a cooperator who is greeted fist to fist. His position and the decisions of the board of directors are even revocable if a majority so decides. However, you have to pay 3,000 euros to become an associate. Former Éléphant employees paid them with their severance pay. A high sum – which is not obligatory in all cooperatives – and which new employees of the Gémenos factory have three years to raise if they want to apply. Nasserdine also praises the working atmosphere, which he considers “much better” than before. Proud of the project that he and his colleagues managed to bring to fruition, he talks about these people who came from Belgium a year ago to visit their factory. “I can tell you it warms my heart. »
Production has also improved in quality. The employees decided to replace the synthetic flavors with other, natural ones. “At Éléphant, in the early years, we used a natural flavoring technique, but we ended up replacing it with chemically synthesized beads which perfumed the sachets,” laments Gérard as he walks past the stock of raw materials for the factory. As for the lime tree contained in the infusion bags, it no longer comes from South America, as before, but from Drôme. The employees collectively chose to return to the old formula, even if it meant paying more for raw materials. They still had to find a compromise to keep the store running: part of their production is sold under another name to supermarket private labels.
A virtuous principle
Not far from Gémenos, the Caleido-scop company is also continuing its merry way. This IT company offers its services to film and television production studios. Proof that the Scop formula is not limited to industry and that it does not systematically constitute an escape route for companies in difficulty. It’s even the opposite: 61% of these cooperatives are created ex nihilo. “This structure responds to a virtuous principle,” enthuses Thierry Lauthelier, founder of Caleido-scop. When we create a traditional company, it belongs to us, but when we launch a SCOP, it is us who belong to it. » Indeed, in these cooperatives, the profits are divided into three parts: a minimum of 16% must land in a reserve to guarantee the future of the company, at least 25% must be allocated to the employees, when the dividends paid to the partners do not may exceed the sum of the two previous parts.
Philippe Besson was an employee like any other in another life. “When we wanted to launch a training organization with my brother-in-law, I was looking for a format close to the association for the human side and internal democracy,” comments the man who is now the boss of the company Adabilités. But I also had to be able to generate some money, which an association cannot do. » Six years later, the specialist educator assures that he does not regret this format, more in line with his values, while their sector is renowned for not being a goose that lays golden eggs.
Banks less lending
These unique companies, however, face a major problem: finding large volumes of financing. Because the banks seem less lending when faced with a model that they know little about. In Gémenos, Scop-TI paid the price when it wanted to borrow 400,000 euros seven years ago. “We had a big deficit in the first years, because we chose to integrate all the former Éléphant employees who wanted to. We said to ourselves that not being profitable at the start was not fundamental,” recalls Olivier Leberquier. Today, the company is recording record sales. “A lot of aid for businesses, innovation or industry is not appropriate and public banks are not there,” confirms Fatima Bellaredj, general delegate of the General Confederation of Scop and Scic. This is an obstacle to the generalization of this type of cooperative. » Large individual shareholders are not more attracted, since the return on investment is lower and they would only count for one vote even if they mobilized a large sum of money.
But perhaps the hardest part remains agreeing on the same project. As the current political sequence proves, it is not always easy to bring about a majority and compromise. “It’s the game,” concedes Philippe Besson. Employees can vote and get involved, which can be perceived as a danger. Above all, it requires being more persuasive and discussing. For example, when I am responsible for presenting an idea with my colleagues, I always try to provide several solutions and not just one. » Paradoxically, the founder of Adequations finds this demanding approach less energy-intensive than in a traditional company. “The employees do not rely solely on me. » Empowering an entire team is perhaps the key to explaining the success of a model more than a century old, but so close to the aspirations of today’s employees.
What do the Scop and Scic represent in France?
- 75,423 jobs
- 4,097 companies
- 10% growth in turnover in one year
Source: 2023 activity report, General Confederation of Scop and Scic.
Scic, the collective interest above all
In the family of cooperatives, I ask for the Scic. This model of cooperative society of collective interest is on the rise, although it only dates back to 2001. Main difference with the SCOP: it gives the possibility to actors who benefit from the goods or services provided and to contributors to partner with employees to produce goods and services of collective interest. “Scics have a more societal dimension,” explains Fatima Bellaredj of the General Confederation of Scop and Scic. These are commercial companies particularly popular with short circuit players and the energy sector. » From 440 in 2014, the number of SCICs increased to 1,400 in 2023, one in two of which is invested by a local authority. Label Emmaüs was created on this model. The association’s online store, founded in 2016, allows everyone to contribute to the project and participate in its governance based on the “one voice, one person” logic.