AFP
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AUTOMOTIVE – A breath of fresh air for Renault? Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire will officially sign a state-guaranteed 5 billion euro loan this Tuesday, June 2, to help the automaker weather the coronavirus crisis.
But at the same time, and while Xavier Bertrand announces the maintenance of employment on the Maubeuge site, the workers at the Choisy-le-Roi factory – the only one to close in France – go on strike.
Choisy on a renewable strike
“More than 200 employees”, out of the total 262 on the site, “mobilized to safeguard their jobs”, have been gathered for 6 hours in front of the factory, specializing in the renovation and reconditioning of engines and gearboxes. A renewable strike in the form of a “prelude to massive actions by all establishments”, according to Fabien Gâche, CGT central delegate, explaining to AFP that an intersyndicale meeting (CGC, CFDT, CGT, FO) at the level central took place on Tuesday morning “in this sense.”
The Choisy site is the only one, out of the group’s 14 in France, whose final closure has been announced at this stage by 2022 as part of the savings plan. It also plans to cut 4,600 jobs in three years in France, or nearly 10% of the group’s workforce in France.
Despite this social plan – and despite the counterparties requested by Emmanuel Macron – the Ministry of Economy promises this Tuesday, after a meeting with different actors, that Bruno Le Maire will activate the loan guaranteed by the State during the day .
Job retention in Maubeuge
Without mentioning the Choisy site, the Bercy tenant, on the other hand, wished to be pledged as to the future of the Maubeuge factory in exchange for 5 billion euros. He asked ”for a social and technical dialogue to open immediately, to develop an industrial project for the future (…) which will have to guarantee long-term employment beyond 2023 (2100 posts currently, editor’s note) and the level of industrial activity on the Maubeuge site (North) and its territory ”, specifies the Ministry of the Economy.
A date quickly announced by Xavier Bertrand at the end of the meeting with Bruno Le Maire, the unions and Renault management.
“The minister understood everyone’s determination and clearly heard the message: no closure of MCA and MCA does not become an empty shell,” said the president of the Hauts-de-France region, promising that the activity and employment will be maintained “beyond 2023 ″ in Maubeuge.
See also on The HuffPost: Macron promises up to 12,000 euros in aid for the purchase of an electric vehicle
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