Sodexo faces union protests over planned 1,000 job cuts in France

Sodexo employees and labor unions, including the CGT, have organized strikes and demonstrations at the company’s headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux to protest planned job cuts in France.

Under the company’s ‘Shift and Grow 2030’ strategic plan, Sodexo intends to eliminate approximately 1,097 positions in France. This includes 963 roles through a job protection plan preceded by voluntary departures, as well as 134 administrative positions at the headquarters. Union representatives have suggested that some administrative functions may be relocated to Portugal to reduce costs.

The CGT union argues that these layoffs are not driven by economic necessity or the aftermath of the pandemic, but are instead ‘stock market-driven’ measures intended to meet profitability requirements and increase shareholder returns. Union leader Sophie Binet has called for strong resistance against the cuts, warning that if these measures are accepted without opposition, other large corporations may follow suit.