This edition is 100% France, because Spain broke our hearts 💔
Interview with a CSE member: Cyril
At the end of year, Back Makers in France elect a new CSE. Cyril has been a member for 8 years. What’s it been like?
The Comité social et économique (CSE) officially represents Back Makers. It is elected every 4 years, its composition and mission are set by French law. To explain its role, we let our current representatives talk about it!
👋 Welcome! Could you introduce yourself?
Cyril: Hello! I joined BM 9 years ago as a customer care agent in Paris, and moved as Lead to Bordeaux when we opened the office there a year later. Since then, I have been in various positions always around Level-3 customer support / quality.
I have been in the CSE since 2018, working mostly on health / safety topics, and helping other Back Makers in various situations.
🤔 What matters the most for you in the CSE?
Cyril: I’m not really into the recreational and cultural side of the CSE (holiday vouchers, movie tickets). Initially, I joined 8 years ago because there were not a lot of eligible people at the time, but I felt it was going to be an important mission.
I try my best to help fellow Back Makers when they have an issue (management, dev plan, etc.). I also try to bring topics to the CSE meetings to make sure people’s concerns are heard.
😲 What is your strongest memory?
Cyril: Two things come to mind.
First, 6 years ago, I think: the first investigation we did into a top manager at the BoT for harassment that lead to their departure. It was a bit scary: we heard testimonials that were revolting, we didn’t really know if the investigation would have any impact. Fortunately it did!
And then, obviously, the layoffs (PSE) in 2022-2023: I stopped everything for 2 months to work with lawyers, accounting auditors, and of course my CSE colleagues. We had to ramp up on all these topics very quickly, and communicate a lot with colleagues that were affected by the plan. I would go to the office everyday to make sure people could find me and talk to me whenever they needed to.
It was a very difficult period. We had intense meetings, especially the last one to finalize the plan (and the exit “package”).
😎 Still, is there anything you’re proud of?
Cyril: A few achievements that we had over the years, some tiny, some specific:
- We doubled the layoff departure package.
- We removed “carence” days (waiting period) in case of sick leave for new joiners.
- We got more RTTs than the law would give us.
- We managed to improve the reasons for the Office Policy to be lifted.
Things like that. But I also know how much we can’t get as a non-unionized CSE.
✊ Why did you join Solidaires Informatique?
Cyril: I joined individually during the pension reform strikes, with other friends and a former Back Maker. I felt the union resonated with my principles. It was the people I wanted to walk with during demonstrations.
We initially didn’t plan to create a union section at Back Market, and the layoffs made us sorely regret it, because it would have granted us a lot more bargaining power.
🤔 If a Back Maker is thinking about joining a what do you tell them?
Cyril: Come on in, the water’s fine!
Seriously though, I think it’s time tech workers unionize more, especially in the current context of AI, layoffs, and return-to-office policies.
It’s never “not for you”, because it’s always about all of us, and about our rights.
This interview is the second part of a series. Read our first interview with Antoine.
AI Surveys: from zero to two
On Monday, July 6th, we released a survey on AI with our sister unions. Then, 3 days later, during the BoT Update, leadership released its own survey 🤔
We don’t know what will come out from that copycat. So far, leadership has been clear on their objective (productivity), so don’t hold your breath.
To make sure your voice is heard:
Taking care of all Back Makers
In October, there will be CSE elections in France. Then, for the first time, BM will have union delegates. Both the CSE and the delegates are Back Makers representing us, to be our eyes, ears, and voice when decisions are made.
Yes, the whole system is complicated (blame Macron’s 2017 labor reform).
What is simple is what Solidaires Informatique stands for: to be there to take care of all Back Makers! 🫶
The workload needs to be sustainable, and collectively discussed
We see projects with absurd deadlines. Some Back Makers are working late and during the weekend. Teams are understaffed with priorities detached from reality. Those are not individual problems, but the signs of an issue with our organization. We want to deal with them as such:
- The CSE is here by law to look into issues related to health, safety, and working conditions, and has the means to do so. As an example, it can run investigations.
- The union delegates can bargain with the company and secure binding agreements on working time organization and the right to disconnect, for instance.
Processes and policies should respect us, and respect our lives
The Office Policy is still an issue for many. People are put on “performance improvement” plans, or “dev-plans”, with no regard for their personal life and no support from their management. Compensation remains obscure. We want these processes to take our realities into account:
- The law requires the CSE be consulted before such policies are enacted. Its role is then to keep management accountable, and make sure our rights are respected.
- The law will force BM to hold negotiations on compensation with the union delegates (not the CSE). We will finally have a voice on how the salary increase budget is used!
Together we work, together we thrive
AI leads us to work more in isolation, because it is introduced without a strategy. Back Makers on dev-plans feel ashamed and lonely. Because of the Office Policy, people can spend their days at the office in a booth with their team elsewhere. One team, one time?
- The CSE is supposed to be consulted when a new technology is introduced (art. L2312-8) precisely because it has an impact on the way we collectively work.
- For 2 years, our union has been a support group: we’ve organized meetings, after-works, surveys, and self-help groups for dev-plans and BSPCE tax-filing. We’ll continue!
Taking care of Back Makers is not an empty “mantra” or “value”. It is what we’ve been doing and what we’ll keep doing at the CSE.
If you want to know more, ask a question, join the team, or just show your support:
Contact us! Follow us! Join us!
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