Lactalis disputes employee profit bonus claims

Core Viewpoint - Lactalis is facing allegations from over 500 employees regarding underpayment of profit bonuses, which the company disputes [1][2]. Group 1: Allegations and Employee Impact - More than 500 current and former employees have filed a case with the National Financial Prosecutor's Office, claiming misrepresentation of annual profits by Lactalis [1]. - The affected workforce could potentially number around 16,000, with losses to bonuses estimated in the "hundreds of millions" of euros [2]. Group 2: Financial Disclosures and Company Response - Lactalis, while privately owned, does periodically disclose financial accounts, but has faced criticism for lack of transparency in the past [3]. - The company acknowledged its financial disclosures and stated that statutory accounts are filed with the Paris Economic Court [3]. Group 3: Recent Financial Performance - In its most recent accounts for 2024, Lactalis reported revenue exceeding €30 billion ($34.1 billion) for the first time, while net profit dropped 19% to €359 million due to a tax settlement with French authorities [4]. - The tax settlement amount was previously revealed as €475 million, which Lactalis claims is unrelated to employee profit bonuses [5]. Group 4: Legal and Public Relations Context - Lactalis referred to a group called Justice for Our Bonuses, which claims that profit-sharing bonuses have been unfairly reduced over the years [6]. - The company countered that the association lacks standing to conduct a class action and that civil and criminal proceedings are underway against such practices [6].