"We have just learned from the press that Renault will not support the takeover project. We have no official information from the directors. This is why we have decided not to react in the press for the moment ", indicated in a concise statement the representatives of the 350 employees of the foundry.

An announcement that these employees, who had demonstrated during the day in front of the Aveyron prefecture in Rodez, deem "scandalous", especially after a commitment by the group last May to maintain at least 250 jobs at the end of 'a 23-day strike.

The mayor of Decazeville, François Marty, told AFP his "anger", having been warned "by no representative of the services" of this withdrawal of the main principal of the Aveyron company of metallurgy (SAM).

For Renault, the only takeover project carried by one of the former executives of the company Patrick Bellity, "does not present the necessary conditions of sustainability and safety," the group said on Tuesday evening.

The car manufacturer, to which the Toulouse Commercial Court had given until Wednesday to rule, "regrets this situation, measures the consequences of its decision and will continue the dialogue with SAM employees in order to offer them alternative solutions. employment within the Renault Group, "he said in a statement.

Renault "cannot commit"

Taken over in 2017 by the Chinese group Jinjiang, SAM, located in Viviez near Decazeville, was placed in receivership on December 10, 2019 and then, on September 16, in liquidation with an extension of activity until December 10.

After submitting a first offer in July, Mr. Bellity sent a letter of intent last Thursday to take over the foundry, a letter accompanied by letters of support from the State and the Occitanie region.

But it was also necessary that Renault, the last customer, commits to "a defined load plan" before Wednesday, depending on the region, otherwise the court could declare on Friday a "dry liquidation" of the company, had warned the CGT.

However, "Renault Group cannot commit to the plan to take over Alty-Sifa", Mr. Bellity's company.

"An in-depth analysis of the file does not confirm the sales assumptions presented in this offer," said the group.

"Once again, as was observed in July 2021, this offer does not present the conditions of sustainability and security necessary for the company and its employees", he said, estimating "the financial soundness" of the project uncertain.

Potential buyer "disgusted"

"I am disgusted. What better guarantee could I have than the State and the Region?" Reacted Patrick Bellity deploring the "billions" offered by the State to the group without consideration.

Renault underlines for its part that it was "the only industrial player to provide significant direct financial support to the company for many years with 42 million euros".

On the other hand, concomitantly with this announcement, Renault said on Tuesday, in a separate file concerning another ailing subcontractor, to support the plan to take over the company of some 280 employees Alvance Aluminum Wheels, based in Diors in Indre, by the Saint-Jean Industries Group.

In the former mining area of ​​Decazeville, the death of the SAM will weigh heavily: "The agglomeration has gone from 40,000 inhabitants in the 1980s to 19,500 today, Decazeville from 12,000 to 5,000. An industrial job provides a living for four people. , the losses do not catch up ", lamented the mayor of Decazeville a few months ago.

The president of the Regional Council of Occitanie, Carole Delga, who was committed to supporting the takeover project, said "to share the shock of the employees".

"We will respond present and mobilize all of our systems on the training component to support employees. We will also continue the work carried out to support the establishment of industrial projects of the future in the region", Ms. Delga said Tuesday evening, former Secretary of State for Trade and Handicrafts.

For its part, Bercy indicated that "the State regrets that no industrial project guaranteeing the sustainability of the SAM could not be presented", stressing that "the government will ensure more particularly that the support of employees is exemplary and for Renault to assume all its responsibilities in this area ".

© 2021 AFP