Louis Vuitton leather workers demand "worthy" wage with protest

A group of leather workers hired by Louis Vuitton staged an hour long protest on Wednesday morning, demanding a wage increase that is "worthy" of their work for the French luxury giant. 

Several French unions -- including the Force Ouvrière (FO) and the Confédération française démocratique du travail (CFDT) -- called upon the labourers to meet together from 7:30 to 8:30 in front of the French production units, on the eve of the final annual salary negotiation session scheduled in Paris.

According to union groups, 30% of the workers are based in Issoudun and Condé, located in France's central region Indre, with more than 50% located in Asnières, in the Hauts-de-Seine region. Another 25-50% are located in ateliers situated in Ardèche and Drôme. LVMH, parent group to Louis Vuitton, declined to comment on the protests, when contacted by AFP.

According to Jean-Marc Damelincourt (FO), the last Vuitton protest took place fifteen years ago, at a time when the legal 35-hour working week was being negotiated.

"Calling for a walkout at Vuitton is difficult, people are afraid of being seen badly, but today a good part of the employees have mobilized to show their dissatisfaction," said representative for the Force Ouvrière union.

According to FO and the CFDT, management proposes a 30 euros gross increase for all employees and an individual increase of 10 to 20 euros for 80% of employees (35 euros for 10% of employees). The unions claim a general revaluation of 55 euros and a 2.5% increase in salaries.

Louis Vuitton has 18 leather workshops, 12 of which are in France. The house employs 4,500 people, including 2,000 in French workshops, according to the unions.