Paul Planque, elected opposition member of the Alès municipal council and the urban council, leader of the Left and citizen list, Printemps alésien, grabbed his pen following the closure of the Solvay factory in Salindres.
68 employees will be made redundant in 2025 following the closure of this factory producing TFA (trifluoroacetic acid). Solvay, whose factory is located in Salindres in the Cévennes, is a listed multinational which operates on 7 sites and employs more than 1,300 people. Solvay made the headlines a few months ago concerning a high level of eternal pollutants recorded in the waters of the Arias and the Avène. The Générations futures association revealed “worrying” indicators pollution of surface water and drinking water around the chemical industrial site.
Management responds to us
Contacted by us, management justifies the closure with three observations which impact the activity: ” a strong competition international, mainly Asian, on TFA and fluorinated derivatives produced in Salindres, a financial performance of the Salindres site which has been deteriorating for several years as well as a hardening of European regulations and French on PFAS ».
“The appetites of its shareholders”
The plan to cease its TFA and fluorinated derivatives activity in France would lead to the elimination of 68 positions (including 4 vacant) linked to the production activity of TFA and fluorinated derivatives over a period ranging from early 2025 to October 2025. Research will also be carried out to consider a possible resumption of activity at the Salindres site. Giovanni Di Francesco, head of the Alès Section of the French Communist Party, belches: “And bam, the usual argument from a boss: ‘it’s the fault of foreign competition and environmental standards’. Let’s say it’s more the fault of a boss who hasn’t invested here for ages to modernize and diversify and has instead chosen to feed the appetites of its shareholderss » .
Christophe Rivenq says he contacted Matignon
In the process, Christophe Rivenq, president of Alès agglo, said he had contacted Matignon. “The industry advisor did not answer me“, explains the Alesian elected official to our colleagues from France Bleu Gard Lozère. He continues: “It’s class contempt. Contempt for the territories. In the past, I have seen companies closing in other cities – big cities – with quicker reactions from ministers”.
“Unlike Gavroche symbolizing freedom and courage, our Agglo President, Christophe Rivenq seems to lack these two qualities“, says Paul Planque, elected opposition member of the municipal council of Alès and the urban council, leader of the Left and citizen list, Printemps alésien.
“Those responsible for this mess are not the whistleblowers“
In a press release, the Alesian elected official continues about Mr. Rivenq: “he who never questions the ultraliberal system, powerless to oppose the strategies of this multinational and to meet the expectations of employees, invokes ‘hyper-environmentalism’ to explain the reasons for this bankruptcy.” According to Paul Planque, the president of the Agglo calls for protecting people before the environment: “those responsible for this mess are not the whistleblowers but those who, through their frantic search for profit, did not want to adapt the tool to new requirements taking into account environmental protection while maintaining employment“.
“Let’s stop this double talk”
Paul Planque concludes his missive as follows: “the president of the Agglomeration speaks of class contempt, a little more effort and the one who says he is neither from the right nor from the left will invoke the ‘class struggle’. Let’s put a stop to this double-talk and force Solvay to keep the Salindres factory in operation.”
