“Continuing with the current leaders is doomed to failure”: the BHV inter-union demands the departure of the current bosses

The inter-union of BHV, a Parisian department store having announced on Tuesday its request for placement in receivership, estimated on Wednesday that the current managers have "manifestly failed" and ordered the courts to "urgently" open such a procedure. In a press release, the staff representatives of the Parisian brand denounced "the absence of strategy and real means to turn around the brand" and the "opacity on financial flows" of the managers. “Continuing with the current leaders is doomed to failure.

Only a solid and well-financed recovery project would make it possible to maintain activity and save part of the jobs", they estimated. BHV Marais, which until recently claimed not to be in suspension of payments, is bankrupt and has filed with the Lyon courts a file to be placed in receivership, in order to "preserve activity and employment" and "secure its recovery plan", according to management. Debate on the competent jurisdiction Concretely, this procedure requested by the inter-union would allow the opening of a six-month observation period, possibly renewable for six months, at the end of which a business continuation plan can be presented to the court.

Faced with "the urgency of the situation", the inter-union was surprised that the company made its request in Lyon, while its head office moved to Paris in February and a hearing at the Paris Economic Affairs Court (TAE) is already scheduled for Friday. Asked by AFP, a spokesperson for BHV Marais explained that a creditor assignment procedure opened “several months ago” could make the Lyon TAE territorially competent. “Discussions are underway between the BHV councils and the two TAEs to identify the competent jurisdiction.

We will go to Lyon or Paris depending on the outcome of these discussions", she declared, affirming that it made "no difference". The resale at a loss in June by the SGM of Frédéric Merlin to some of its managers was only "a sleight of hand", according to the staff representatives, who had called a strike in September.

Machine-translated from French