François Thorel, the boss of Ty Mad in the port of Le Croisic, has invests like many of his colleagues In the real estate for accommodate its seasonal workers for free. A way to attract them and retain them as housing is linked to the employment contract. Nevertheless, the labor shortage cruelly. From professional cooks particularly. François Thorel, for example, is still looking for two kitchen assistants. Without them, it is forced to close 2 days a week in high season.
I lost a caravan and a seasonal worker who went to a colleague who could accommodate him” – François Thorel
François Thorel, who needs a ten seasonal workers every summer, had it built 3 accommodations at Le Croisic station, but the work has been delayed. In the meantime, he lodges his employees at his home and he had bought a caravan for one of them. “It took me a long time to find it, a trailer tent that I managed to find in Guérande. I left it hanging on my truck on Saturday evening before the service just in front of my house, in the street in Batz- sur-Mer, it was stolen during the night. I lost a caravan and my seasonal worker since he went to a colleague who could accommodate him”. He hopes to find his caravan because the police have a track and in the meantime a friend lends him his. In addition, its 3 apartments should be ready for July despite everything, impossible to recruit two kitchen clerks. “There have been abuses in the catering industry, but things have changed a lot. It’s no longer a question of wages, it’s our profession that is no longer valued. Since the covid, no one wants work in staggered hours, if it continues, we will all be off on the weekend, but everything will be closed!” exclaims the boss of Ty Mad.
Closed in the middle of the week in high season, less choice on the menu
Restaurants forced to adapt to the lack of manpower. The Ty Mad will remain closed 2 days a week in high season, the menu is reduced, there is less choice. “People should not be surprised if, after a certain hour, we no longer serve. We can explain to them that we are understaffed, they do not understand, but we have no choice “ says the one who took out a mortgage to buy housing for his seasonal workers.
– Helen Roussel
100,000 people have deserted the profession since Covid-19
It’s the same with Alexandre Thiebaud, owner of the Jules café and the Bateau Ivre creperie in Pouliguen, which normally recruits about fifteen seasonal workers. “We find young servers in the dining room for this summer, students but professionals, it’s much harder“. He too is looking for a to cook. However, he too has invested and encourages his colleagues to do so in stone. 5 apartments, from studio to F4 because on the coast, the housing is rare, very expensive and often in RBnB reserved for tourists. “My banker is very intelligent, he understood that he had to give me credit so that I could run my businesses and thus reimburse, it’s a virtuous circle”. Alexandre Thiebaud ensures that in addition to housing, he pays for each additional houre. “I put a clock in my establishments”. But again, that’s not enough. He does not rule out one day appealing, if possible, to foreign labor. “100,000 people have deserted the profession since the covid and have not returned. Between those who put the key under the door, and those forced to close in the middle of the week and in high season, it cannot last long” warns the vice-president of the Union of trades and industries of the hotel industry 44. François Thorel confirms. According to him, of the 14 members of the APRC, the association of professionals in the Croisicaise catering, there are only 2 left today.