“She has no guarantee”: a cry from the heart of the wife of an employee at the Olymel factory in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu

The 135 employees at the Olymel plant in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu are worried the day after the permanent closure of the company's buildings was announced.

• Read also: Olymmel: Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu plant closed

Although Olymel management claims to want to move as many workers as possible, employees and their loved ones do not know what will happen to them after the July 19 closure, and even before that date.

“I'm worried about my partner because she has part of her pension fund that hasn't been deposited yet. I'm worried about his leave. She has no way of knowing if it's accrued to her salary level. Regarding work standards, she's obligated to have a leave bank, but there's no It says on her wages,” the wife of a factory worker told TVA Nouvelles from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

“Since they have not received any letter, she has no guarantee that she will work 40 hours a week until July 10. Then they said they can move them, (but) Boucherville is a warehouse where they work as forklift operators, so generally it is men who can do it and should They receive training as forklift operators. Therefore, it is impossible for women to work there. “San Damas is a factory located about 50 kilometers from here and most of the people who work here come to work on foot,” he added.

TVA News screenshot

Many criticize the company for undertaking closures despite Olymel receiving a $150 million investment from the Quebec government in 2021.

See also  Hospitality: A local entrepreneur launches an app for cashless tips

However, Olymel management claims that 40% of the workforce at the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu plant is not being used.

The company operates in four business segments: fresh poultry, processed poultry, processed pork and fresh pork.

“The top three sectors continued to perform well despite the pandemic and labor shortages. On the other hand, in the fresh pork sector, [la situation] It led to many closures,” Olymel Senior Vice President Paul Beauchamp explained to TVA Nouvelles.

TVA News screenshot

However, he stresses that the fresh pork sector is going through a crisis on a global scale.

To see the full explanation, watch the video above.