Michel (Jean-Pierre Darroussin), lives happily with Marie-Claire (Ariane Ascaride), his wife of nearly 30 years. A dedicated CGT (General Confederation of Labour (France)) trade unionist, he is charged with calling out the names in a draw in the shipyard to select who will be among the 20 workers to be made redundant. Though he did not need to place his own name in the bin, he did so and it is drawn, and so he loses his job along with the 19 others.