Le Mans (AFP)
About 250 people gathered Thursday morning in front of the Renault plant in Le Mans to denounce the "dismantling of the automotive industry in France" and support the employees of the Fonderie de Bretagne put up for sale by the automotive group, noted a journalist from the AFP.
"The recent events in our sector prove the need to act quickly, in particular with the search for buyers for the Fonderie de Bretagne and the new episode of receivership for the Fonderie du Poitou", explained Gilles Guiton, head of the Renault Le section. Mans CFDT.
"The Roland Berger report foresees a loss of 40% of the workforce of foundries in France, if nothing is done," added Mr. Guiton, specifying that the holding of foundries was "fundamental" in the automotive industry.
The demonstrators, mostly CGT and CFDT unionists, began to gather around 10:00 am in gloomy weather in front of the Le Mans factory.
"The slogan is to thwart the cost reduction plan that Renault has put in place: 2 billion in 2021, 2.5 billion in 2023 and 3 billion in 2025", according to the CGT.
"Electricity is put forward but for us the thermal is not finished" told AFP Christophe Janvier, CGT manager at the Renault plant in Le Mans.
The employees of the Fonderie de Bretagne in Caudan (Morbihan), for their part, are calling for a return of volumes to their plant and their retention within the Renault group, which announced on March 11 that the plant was being put up for sale in order to " to perpetuate activities and jobs ".
About a hundred CGT activists, who were joined by LFI activists, were also gathered in the morning in front of the Stellantis site in Douvrin (Pas-de-Calais) to demand that the jobs in this factory be maintained.
"A few weeks ago the management announced the relocation of an engine to Hungary" after "the announcement of the cessation of diesel engines for 2022, this clearly marks the shutdown of the site and 1,500 layoffs, this does not is not acceptable, "assured Ludovic Bouvier, CGT metallurgy manager in Pas-de-Calais.
© 2021 AFP