🧐 Do you recognise the man in the long beige coat in the photo?

It’s Michel Barnier, now Prime Minister of France!

A little history: on 2 April 1984, management announced the closure of the La Rochette plant following financial bankruptcy. In response, the trade unions (CGT, FO, CGC), their elected representatives and members quickly mobilised to form an inter-union group.

At the time, Michel Barnier was Member of Parliament for the 2nd constituency of Savoie (Albertville – Tarentaise) and President of the Savoie General Council since 1982. He supported and facilitated contacts for the takeover of the plant. He also took part in the demonstration organised in La Rochette under the slogan ‘La Rochette will live’, which brought together elected representatives from all political parties, collaborators, merchants, artisans and local residents in a collective action.

Thanks to this common mobilisation and to the actions taken by the intersyndicale, the elected representatives and Maître Rebut, the court-appointed administrator, the Cascades group took over the management of the factory on 1 May 1985.