Two employees of the Cora hypermarket in Saint-Jouan-des-Guérêts, near Saint-Malo, were dismissed for refusing to work on Sunday
Two employees of the Cora hypermarket in Saint-Jouan-des-Guérêts, near Saint-Malo , were sacked for refusing to work on Sunday. The information was unveiled by our colleagues of Europe 1 this Tuesday 21st May, 2019.
The store has opted to open every Sunday morning since March 2018. However, it seems that no update has been added to the employees’ employment contracts to specify this change. It is also not based on volunteering since it would be imposed on employees to come to work more than six Sundays morning per year, according to Europe 1.
Note that the other two hypermarkets in Saint-Malo , Leclerc and Carrefour , have chose on their side not to open on Sunday.
Sunday work imposed
At Cora hypermarket, this Sunday work seems to be suffered by some employees . In this case at least two of them, who refused to submit to it and paid the high price since they were sacked.
One of them, Christelle, who hadworked there for 18 years. Last year, she came to work a few Sundays. But opposed in principle to do Sunday work, she decided not to come to work on Sunday 17th March, as it was asked.
However, she had previously warned her managers, as François Maquaire trade unionist and lawyer at the CFTC said:
“In February and March, she sent two letters to warn that she refused to come to work on Sunday. Nothing in her employment contract requires her to do so “.
The unionist also points to the “violent” way that the management dismissed:
“She received a letter telling her that she would be punished, but it was not written that this was prior to a dismissal. She did not think she would be fired. It was even more shocking for her to know that this dismissal was motivated by a serious misconduct.”
Licensed for serious misconduct
Her dismissal was in fact served on her for refusing to work on Sunday, which constituted ” serious misconduct and insubordination, ” says the CFTC.
Christelle was dismissed on April 24th, 2019. The ground of misconduct deprived her of notice and compensation. Supported by the CFTC, however, it intends to challenge her dismissal, as François Maquaire said:
“A registered letter was sent to the management to challenge this dismissal. We gave them a week to agree on an amicable agreement, including the payment of compensation and damages. If no agreement is found, we will challenge the dismissal before the tribunal des Prud’hommes “.
The management of Cora did not wish for the moment to answer our questions.
