Date published: 09/11/2024 – 15:48

2 minutes

“There are many sectors in a worrying situation,” Ferracci said France told Inter References were made on the radio on Saturday to the chemical, automotive and metallurgical industries.

These difficulties arise in particular from “very strong international competition… which is not always very fair, because it is highly subsidized.” Chinese and the United States”.

Ferracci’s comments came just days after Michelin and Auchan, two of France’s biggest employers, announced layoffs, sparking concerns that unemployment could rise once again years of recovery.

Acknowledging that the closure of industrial sites would affect thousands of jobs, he stressed that the government was “struggling” to find private buyers and, if necessary, to “provide the best possible support for workers and revitalize the facilities”.

On Tuesday, French tire company Michelin, founded 135 years ago, announced that it would close its Cholet and Vannes plants in western France in early 2026, resulting in the loss of 1,254 jobs. He cited high costs and cheap Asian competition.

“We evaluated our options, but we could not find any alternative other than (closing) these two facilities” Michelin Chairman Florent Menegaux said Le Monde daily adds: “The one constant about Michelin is that it is always on the move.”

French tire group Michelin will cease its operations in Russia

strike action

Michelin’s move angered French labor unions. The hardline CGT called on all Michelin workers to go on strike, while the more moderate CFDT called on management and the government to reconsider the closures and look for alternatives.

Speaking at the Turkish Grand National Assembly on Tuesday, the Prime Minister Michel Barnier He said he regretted Michelin’s decision and that affected workers should be assisted in every way possible.

” automotive industry “It is in a difficult situation, and not only in our country,” Barnier said, adding that Europe must protect the automotive industry against “unfair” foreign competition with stronger actions and less “naivety”.

Calling for a European “emergency plan” to save the sector, Ferracci said he would seek to formulate policy proposals at EU level in the coming weeks, such as a continent-wide ecological bonus or a common loan to finance investments.

Michelin’s announcement comes just weeks after unions broke out at Europe’s largest automaker Volkswagen warned planned facility closures.

(via news cables)