Paris (AFP)

More than a hundred employees - 400 according to the CGT - demonstrated on Tuesday in front of the Engie Tower of Defense at the call of the group's inter-union to protest against the takeover bid planned by the water and services giant Veolia, AFP noted.

The employees chanted "Veolia, your takeover bid, we don't want it" or "Jean-Pierre Clamadieu (president of Engie), we will look for you at home".

The president of Engie greeted Tuesday an industrial project "solid" of Veolia, which wishes to buy back its shares in Suez, estimating that the latter did not propose "anything concrete" before the expiration of the offer Wednesday.

Suez has been battling for its independence since the end of August, after its main shareholder, Engie, was offered by Veolia to sell it 29.9% of shares for 2.9 billion euros (15 euros per share).

"The schedule has tightened so we come to show our mobilization", told AFP Franck Reinhold von Essen, secretary (CGT) of the European works council of Suez.

"We have a request for summary proceedings at 3 p.m." at the Paris court to obtain the suspension of the takeover project, "and tomorrow (will be held) the board of directors (of Engie). We await the results but whatever happens we will continue, Suez employees will not go to Veolia, "he says.

For Anne, an executive at Suez for 12 years and unionized at CFE-CGC, the offer is a "hostage-taking" where "our specificity, our group culture, our investment are called into question".

She "does not believe a word in the commitments made by the CEO of Veolia (to preserve jobs):" since 2014 we have had four social plans, why not a fifth? "

Sylvain, 55, an employee at Suez since 1989, judges that "the project does not make sense, it weakens the French position on national and international markets".

Amer, Stéphane, 37, believes that the president of Engie has "failed in his post because he is forced to give up what he considered a diamond because he lacks cash."

"It's a kind of treachery, a disdain for employees."

Veolia CEO Antoine Frérot has promised to financially improve his offer before Wednesday.

© 2020 AFP