Overview
- On Saturday, June 6, five unions staged a first-of-its-kind coordinated mobilisation at Decathlon with local rallies, store demonstrations and petitions demanding pay rises after the statutory SMIC increase.
- Unions say workers want the SMIC rise extended to staff paid slightly above minimum and broader revalorations because many employees work long hours for near-minimum pay while workloads have increased.
- Decathlon responded that roughly 5% of its 23,000 French employees took part and that about 99% of its stores remained open, creating a clear dispute over how widespread the action actually was.
- Union and local reports counter the company figures, citing over 1,000 participants at demonstrations, petitions with thousands of signatures, and union claims that up to three quarters of stores could be affected.
- Unions said negotiations remain stalled and signalled possible escalation to logistics hubs and delivery disruptions starting the week after the mobilisation, a step that could directly affect store supply and customer deliveries.