Clermont-Ferrand (AFP)

The inter-union of the Michelin group has asked the management Thursday in Clermont-Ferrand to commit to a moratorium on plant closures, during a mobilization in support of employees of La Roche-sur-Yon (Vendée) whose the factory must close.

Everywhere in France, the employees of the Clermontois tire group were called on to walk away, especially to sign the petition launched by the CFE-CGC, CFDT, FO and Sud.

In this petition, the four organizations ask Michelin to "no longer close any factory" and "stop relocations" for the duration of the term of its president Florent Menegaux, which ends in May 2023.

"We exceeded Thursday 2,000 signatures in less than 24 hours, which is very encouraging," said Jean-Christophe Laourde, CFE-CGC central trade union delegate, at a press conference.

"This is the first time in a long time that there is such a mobilization, all the factories are in the movement," said Jerome Lorton (South).

However, according to management, at 16:00, 274 employees were on strike, less than 1.4% of Michelin's workforce present Thursday in France.

In La Roche-sur-Yon, 200 people according to the police and at least 300 people according to the South union gathered in front of the plant with a banners "rogue boss" and union flags.

Among the protesters, Bénédicte, 54 years old and 14 years old, went on strike for the first time. "The Vendeans do not strike usually, they are wise," she quipped. But last Thursday, "in fifteen minutes, the director told us that the factory was going to close, it was sloppy," she regretted.

"I was promised mountains and marvels," said Franck, who came to the Vendée in 2014 after the closing of another Michelin site in Joué-les-Tours (Indre-et-Loire). "I am 51 years old, the critical age to be able to find work", worried this man wearing a t-shirt on which the bibendum symbol of the brand is working to destroy a factory with the backhoe.

In Cholet (Maine-et-Loire), about thirty employees blocked the entry of trucks between noon and 15:00, but this did not "disrupt the production inside the plant", said a spokesperson for the management.

- The CGT is considering legal action -

The inter-union Friday organizes a consultation of employees of La Roche-sur-Yon to "have a mandate to enter into negotiations with Michelin management" about accompanying measures that will be proposed, said Mr. Lorton.

"The goal is to support each employee, to implement all means to protect them" because Michelin "must pay the mark of this social injustice," he said.

A first meeting on this subject is scheduled for 22 October.

The CGT is considering a legal action and has solicited the lawyer Fyodor Rilov, counsel in many social conflicts (Ascoval, Whirpool, Continental, Samsonite).

On October 24 in La Roche-sur-Yon, "we call for a meeting to define together a book claiming all that the employees want," said Antony Guilloteau, CGT union delegate saying that "to enter the negotiations, it is is playing the game of leadership right away. "

On Wednesday, Michelin France director Jean-Paul Chiocchetti said he had already received "more than 300" job offers in the La Roche-sur-Yon area, which is enjoying full employment, even though he explains that Michelin wants above all to encourage internal mobility to its other factories in France.

© 2019 AFP