“We are landed and shocked”, the local elected officials deplore the lack of state commitment

The mayor of Pont-de-Claix, Christophe Ferrari, and that of Jarrie, Christophe Guerrero, the communes where Arkema and Vencorex are located, held a press conference on Thursday. Both deplore the state’s lack of commitment and call on the Minister of the Economy to go there.

The day after the meeting at the Ministry of Industry in Bercy, Christophe Ferrari (various left), mayor of Pont-de-Claix and president of Grenoble-Alpes Métropole, organized a press conference on Thursday, January 23. He deplored a lack of commitment from the State to maintain the chemical industrial sector in France.

After placement in receivership of Vancorex, the Arkema chemical platform in Jarrie is also in difficulty, for lack of salt supply. The mayor of Jarrie Christophe Guerrero, where Arkema is located, and Guy Jullien, vice-president of Grenoble-Alpes Métropole, were also present at this press conference.

Christophe Ferrari said on several occasions “Land” et “Shocked” By the position of the government concerning the future of Vancorex and the chemical platform of Jarrie.

“We came out of these 3:30 hours of reunion and shocked. We have had no answer. We do not even know if the minister really asked his services to assess the nationalization scenario”regrets the councilor. This temporary solution was put forward by the elected officials of Isère to save the Pont-de-Claix platform.

Before adding: “They are incapable of taking their political responsibilities. The subject is there, what we ask the State and the ministers is to be responsible there, now. This is to say: we maintain, what whatever the way of doing things. “

The two elected officials were accompanied by union representatives of the chemical industrial sector and several Isérois parliamentarians: Senator Guillaume Gontard (the ecologist), the deputies Cyrielle Chatelain (the Ecologist), Marie-Noëlle Battistel (PS) and Camille Galliard-Mnier ( Together for the Republic).

All deplored the state's lack of commitment to maintain a “Industrial activity in France”. “I am a Grenobleois, I defend the interests of the metropolis, I fight for that, I try to find compromises, coalitions to defend this. This is political action. A government is the same , it is to defend the interests of France and to defend the sovereign interests of France.supports Christophe Ferrari.

Elected officials do not give up and call on ministers to come on the spot to see the situation and cope with employees whose jobs are threatened.

“What I expect is the arrival here of the Prime Minister or the Minister of Economy and Finance, this is where we must discuss this. Today, we are missing listening of the State “deplores Christophe Guerrero, the mayor of Jarrie.

I want them to see the heads of manufacturers, that they see the companies that are affected by what a closure would be. I want them to see the heads of the subcontractors, of these SME bosses. It is not a whim of president of the metropolis and these few parliamentarians. It is a territorial issue.

Christophe Ferrari

President of Grenoble-Alpes Métropole

Because the Vancorex stop would have consequences on other factories. It is a key company in chemistry in Isère and provides raw materials its neighbors Arkema and Framatome. A supply of supply would cause a chain reaction which threatens up to 5,000 jobs in the region, according to the unions.

This Tuesday, the company Arkema has already announced the abolition of 154 of the 344 positions of its Jarrie factory, a consequence of a refocusing of the site caused by the difficulties of its salt supplier, Vancorex.

“In Grenoble, we are at the forefront on many subjects, we are at the forefront on industrial subjects and today, we are fighting for this industry. We are fighting for our chemistry and we want this chemistry to remain, today 'Hui, on the territory “concluded the president of the metropolis. The Commercial Court of Lyon is due to render its judgment as for the future of Vencorex on March 6, in 40 days.