Building craftsmanship in danger according to a CAPEB survey in the region

This is the sad observation that results from the flash survey conducted by the CAPEBs of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes among their members and this is why the CAPEB is more than ever mobilized to ask for concrete emergency solutions to save craftsmanship.

Worrying feedback from the field

Craft businesses in the building industry have been faced with uninterrupted and unpredictable price increases since the health crisis and have been facing supply difficulties for a year and a half that are getting worse. Added to this is the rise in energy prices since the end of 2021, which is accentuating considerably with the war in Ukraine. From now on, a certain number of brands and manufacturers refuse to commit to prices and delivery times.

A brutal and particularly anxiety-provoking situation for craft construction companies, which is confirmed by their responses to the flash survey conducted by the departmental CAPEBs among their members.

This is especially the case for smaller companies:

• 31% of companies will not be able to cope with the difficulties caused by the economic and geopolitical context for more than a year.
• Only 18% of companies without employees and 17% of companies with between 1 and 5 employees think they can withstand 2 years or more.
• 56% of artisans see their morale impacted compared to 27% of companies with more than 20 employees.

Insufficient government measures – CAPEB solutions

The Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, had undertaken to integrate the Building sector into the government's resilience plan. CAPEB was able to observe that this was not the case.

Even if certain measures go in the right direction, such as once again calling on public purchasers to make use of the unpredictability clause in contracts and not to apply late penalties for a site due to supply difficulties linked to the war in Ukraine, they are far from sufficient.

Indeed, public contracts represent only 17% of the contracts of craft businesses and bringing into play the unpredictability clause is anything but simple. Finally, no provision is made for contracts signed with private individuals who represent the bulk of the contracts for craft building companies.

CAPEB proposes 8 very concrete measures

• Ensure that manufacturers and traders or distributors actively participate in the construction crisis committee set up by the government, include the fair cost of decarbonization in their prices and assume the risks of price increases with the sector in the framework of a solidarity charter;
• Require suppliers to notify construction companies at least 3 months in advance of any price increase and to guarantee price stability for at least three months. Indeed, current trends sometimes require cash payment and price validity of 24 or 48 hours, while the customer withdrawal period is 14 days;
• Reimburse, as for the agricultural sector and the Public Works sector, part of the TICPE for fuels used for professional vehicles;
• Impose on banks and credit insurers that they do not downgrade the rating of companies when they decide to postpone the reimbursement of their PGE;
• Accelerate the overhaul of the calculation of the various BT indexes and their publications in a timely manner in view of the current crisis;
• Apply a reduced rate of 5,5% VAT for all renovation work;
• Public markets. Finally, make systematic, for the benefit of companies, the application of penalties in the event of late payment by the contracting authority;
• Put in place a price shield mechanism for the cost of energy at European and French levels to have industrial production at a controlled price and allow the continuity of public energy and environmental renovation policies, directly threatened by the soaring costs of materials.

Some of these proposals have already been heard. Thus, the press release from the Ministry of the Economy of March 29 provides in particular for the accelerated revision of the indexes from May 2022, the establishment of temporary aid for public works companies, the organization of a committee of the departmental construction crisis and the publication of a circular to public contracting authorities on the revision of prices.

However, these measures remain insufficient in view of the situation and CAPEB is therefore continuing its mobilization.

CAPEB mobilized

Everywhere in France, the departmental and regional CAPEBs ask their prefect to organize a round table with all the players in the building industry, manufacturers and traders, in order to seek the terms of "economic solidarity" to limit the increases prices and eliminate abnormal behavior. Appointments are also made with their deputies and senators.

Many communications with the media (press, radio and TV) are also organized both at national level and in the departments. This is particularly the case in our region.

The mobilization of CAPEB is beginning to bear fruit. The retailer Saint-Gobain recently committed in writing to the National President of CAPEB to regulate the price increase with concrete proposals such as authorizing it only on the first of each month.

For businesses, the departmental CAPEBs provide them with all the support and support they need on a daily basis. A practical sheet has been developed for this purpose to help them better withstand the crisis.

For Dominique Guiseppin, Head of a craft painting business (Savoie), President of CAPEB Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: “The situation is particularly worrying for our companies, it is their profitability and ultimately the sustainability of craftsmanship that is at stake.

If the activity is not lacking for the moment, we suffer from a lack of clarity on our supplies which considerably slows down our construction sites and greatly disrupts their organization, not to mention the increase in costs which has a very heavy impact on our margins. . The flash survey that we conducted with the departmental CAPEBs clearly shows that only 18% of craft businesses pass on the price increase to their customers.

At the time of the presidential and legislative elections, it is high time that our leaders finally hear the voice of craft businesses and offer them appropriate measures. »