More than a hundred staff from the wind power branch of the American giant General Electric walked off the job this Thursday, November 14, in Loire-Atlantique. The unions at the Montoir-de-Bretagne and Nantes sites had called for work to stop between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. today. They are protesting against the elimination of 360 positions on these two sites, which would take place as part of an Employment Protection Plan (PSE) by spring 2025.
The entity « Offshore Wind »of the General Electric Vernova branch, which brings together the energy activities of General Electric, plans in particular, with this vast restructuring plan, to cut the workforce by 58% (220 positions) in Nantes, and by a third (140 positions) in Montoir-de-Bretagne, said a press release from the CFE-CGC.
“In the face of social breakdown, nationalization! »
In an interview given to Financial Timesat the beginning of the week, the boss of GE Vernova, one of the three legs of the juggernaut split last April, Scott Strazik, announced the freezing of the search for orders in Europe. In fact, the American, which is very established in France, does not plan to seek new contracts for its offshore wind power activity. He explained that he wanted “focus on the execution of current projects”with the sector facing rising interest rates and low electricity prices.
The LFI deputy for Loire-Atlantique Matthias Tavel, who called on Prime Minister Michel Barnier to commit to guaranteeing the future of the Montoir-de-Bretagne site, essential according to him “to the development of maritime wind power in our country”was present alongside the employees this Thursday. “In the face of social and industrial breakdown, we say it again, nationalization! “, he argued on X.
Worried about their future, employees signed a letter to their managers pointing out the multiplication of management errors since 2021. The first negotiations regarding the amounts of severance pay came to nothing, reinforcing the anger of the most qualified employees , in the sights of the multinational. More broadly, they fear the closure of French sites by 2027, putting 1,400 jobs in total at risk.
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