Belfort (AFP)
General Electric is preparing to cut nearly 300 jobs in France in its "Steam Power" entity, specializing in nuclear and coal plants, including 240 at its Belfort site, according to a union source and a source close to the matter on Thursday.
GE, for its part, confirmed to AFP that it had announced a plan to reorganize its GE Steam Power entity in Europe, during a European group committee meeting, but did not give details on the number of jobs threatened.
It is a "massive destruction", according to a source close to the file quoted by the site letrois.info, which revealed the information.
"We come to weaken the base of know-how".
According to the management of the American giant, this announcement comes "following GE's plan to withdraw from the market for new coal-fired power stations".
"The market for coal-fired power stations is now in rapid decline across the world, including in Europe", underlines the management.
"This context requires GE Steam Power to reorganize to adapt to market realities and preserve its competitiveness".
In parallel with the CCE, which was held by videoconference on Wednesday, GE Steam Power began discussions on Thursday with the French works councils of GE Steam Power Service France and GE Steam Power Systems.
At Belfort, General Electric's historic site in France, the Steam Power entity employed 1,700 people as of December 31, 2019. In spring 2019, it had already been affected by a restructuring.
A collective contractual rupture had resulted in 264 voluntary departures, including 180 in Belfort.
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