The Grenoble prosecutor’s office summoned Go Sport’s management to a hearing on December 19 to find out more about the financial situation of the specialist sports distributor, following concerns from workers’ representatives.
The Grenoble Public Prosecutor’s Office summoned the Go Sport management to a hearing on Monday 19 December to find out more about the financial situation of the distributor specializing in sport. Go Sport is owned by Hermione People and Brands (HPB), the same shareholder as Camaïeu, in liquidation. This hearing notably follows concerns from workers’ representatives, AFP learned on Monday.
The Grenoble Public Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed that a hearing is scheduled to verify that the company is not in a short-term payment cessation situation. HPB confirmed the hearing date and said so “Go Sport is not in cessation of payments” and what will it have “within 48 hours the elements in support of these arguments”.
The elected representatives of the Central Social and Economic Committee (CSEC) and the CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC, CFDT trade unions of Go Sport are concerned that “More than 2,000 Go Sport employees” May “suffer the fate of Camaïeu employees”, according to a statement sent to AFP. They launched “Proceedings before the commercial court before it’s too late”.
HPB is the specialized distribution subsidiary of Financière immobilière bordelaise (FIB), a group owned by the Bordeaux entrepreneur Michel Ohayon. Also present in the luxury hotel sector (Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux, Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace Versailles) and wine, it has made a name for itself in recent years by buying many retail brands, often at low prices or in court, including Galeries Lafayette in the region , La Grande Récré, Gap France or Café Légal. And Camaïeu, liquidated at the end of September, eliminating 2,600 jobs.
According to Go Sport CSEC attorney Evelyn Bledniak, who recalls it “each company has its own particularities”the Committee “filed an application with the commercial court for the appointment of a judicial administrator” after a procedure “Economic alert law passed in October to get an update on Go Sport’s financial condition and cash flow”.
“Same shareholder, same effects?”ask the elected representatives of the CSEC and the trade unions of the specialized distribution group. “In any case, the objective is to verify that Go Sport is not in a situation of cessation of payments in the short term, which is one of the conclusions of the report of the chartered accountant appointed by the CSEC”.
Go Sport, which had been in decline for years, had been bought for a nominal euro by HPB, the parent company of food distribution group Casino, the heavily indebted Rallye company.
