Caudan (France) (AFP)

"Abandonment", treason ", denounce the banners Bitter employees and hundreds of demonstrators gathered in a tide of red flags Tuesday morning in front of the Foundry of Brittany, put up for sale by the Renault group.

Under a great blue sky, the tide of red flags, carried by CGT unionists, employees of other Renault factories, Lorient dockers or communist activists, invaded the vast parking lot of the factory in the suburbs of Lorient.

"The calendar is scary", mutters Yannick, gray beard and round face.

The sales process is due to end in August, when the foundry will be closed and the ovens turned off.

"It is a betrayal at all levels. From Renault and the public authorities who have accompanied this masquerade of strategic review", denounces Maël Le Goff, CGT delegate of the factory of 350 employees.

Established near Lorient since 1965, the Fonderie de Bretagne had been sold by Renault in 1999 before being taken over in 2009. In the summer of 2020, the manufacturer requested a strategic review which concluded that the site should diversify its activities and pursue the reduction of its production costs.

"It was Renault who told us to stop diversification and now they want us to come back to it," quips Cédric, 42-year-old project manager.

Like him, many executives joined this gathering organized by the CGT.

"We gave a lot after the factory fire in 2019. We were present even during the Covid. And now, we are told that it is over," laments Régis, 43, head of the office of studies.

"They are cutting the rug out from under us," approves Jimmy, 44-year-old business manager.

"It is Renault which takes away volumes from us and prevents us from returning to equilibrium".

Like him, they all have families and children.

Some have even recently come from other Renault factories to work in Caudan.

Bitter, they all point out that the performance targets set by Renault were "achieved or exceeded" last year.

"Renault must remain the business of cars to live on, not cars to destroy jobs in France," says Jimmy.

- "Founders, not unemployed" -

"We have the impression that the foundry is disappearing in France, like the textile industry a long time ago," regrets Alain, 56, an employee of the Fonderies du Poitou, in Vienne, also in difficulty.

"Founders, not unemployed," proclaims a sticker on his chasuble.

"They all have their family life, their house to pay for," notes Anne-Laure Vély, 27, wearing a pink chasuble marked "Caregivers with the FDB".

"What are all these people going to do? They just want to work," says the foundry granddaughter.

In addition to the trade unionists, two deputies made the trip "in solidarity" with the employees of Caudan.

The deputy LFI of Seine-Saint-Denis, Alexis Corbière, sees in the fight of the Breton founders a "national fight".

"The lessons that have been learned from the Covid crisis, including by the government, were to say that the country had to be reindustrialised (...) In reality, all this was just a show off," says he does.

"Public money was given to Renault without any conditions for maintaining employment (...) Those who lay off must return the money!"

To get through the crisis, the Renault group was entitled to a bank loan of five billion euros guaranteed by the State.

"A country without industry is a country without a future", launches the deputy of the North Fabien Roussel, national secretary of the PCF.

"We will place this factory under the protection of the Republic," he promises.

Shortly after noon, the speaking sessions ended.

"This is only the first day! We do not let go," says Maël le Goff, counting 2,000 demonstrators and "98% of strikers".

"Don't let the jackals graze on our ideals," the Stiffheads continue chanting as the crowd disperses.

© 2021 AFP