France: agri-food industry social partners have formulated a guide to help companies exiting lockdown and/or resuming business

Published on 30 April by its sector relevant co-authors, * the guide aims (Guide-d’aide-à-la-préparation-au-déconfinement-et-ou-à-la-reprise-d’activité-pour-les-entreprises-alimentaires-Avril-2020) ‘to help companies exiting lockdown and/or resuming business’ and is intended to assist companies identify all the issues that need to be addressed prior to exiting lockdown and resuming business. Pointing out “it is in the interest of companies, in consultation with employee representatives, to deliberate over the preparation of a planned and step-by-step organized activity resumption plan. It recommends updating the single risk assessment document, providing information to all staff and stakeholders on all the extraordinary organization measures being taken during the lockdown relaxation and the resumption of activity, as well as supporting employees when they return to work (training, understanding and implementation of of instructions, etc.), and if necessary, to set up psychological support in addition to the health measures that have become standard. However this document goes beyond just health recommendations, as it also answers a number of questions including how to treat inventories as part of organizing the resumption of activity, on planning smoothly with that customers and suppliers, and on how businesses can manage production capacity levels according to the uncertainties over potential changes in markets, and in this way is assuming one of the roles of a sector participant namely to equip medium and small businesses in the face of difficulties. In March 2020, small and medium size businesses drew up a best practice guide for the implementation of a business continuity plan. *ANIA- the National Association of the Agri-Food Industry, La Coopération Agricole- the Agriculture Cooperative, les Organisations employeurs des Industries de la Transformation des Volailles FIA et CNADEV- the Poultry Processing Industries Employers’ Organisations FIA and CNADEV, and the sector’s five trade union organisations- FGA-CFDT, FGTA-FO, CFTC Agri, CFTC CSFV, and CFE-CGC Agro