Should we be worried about the Stellantis factories in Nord and Pas-de-Calais? Sunday October 13, the general director of the Stellantis group Carlos Tavares announced in the newspaper Les Echos that he did not rule out factory closures in his automobile manufacturing groupdue in particular to Chinese competition whose market shares continue to increase.
In Douvrin (Pas-de-Calais), north of Lens, the words of Carlos Tavares do not surprise the CGT: “We feel that the management wants to close the door next year, it is strongly felt“, worries Régis Scheenaerts, CGT general secretary at Stellantis Douvrin. In this factory, formerly French Mécanique, which employs 700 people (500 permanent employees and 200 temporary workers), engine production has been decreasing a little more every day for several months, according to the CGT. “Elle [la direction] cored the soil to check for pollution, she brought in surveyors to measure all the land and draw up a land register plan, all of this is to prepare for the sale, that’s for sure.”
Hybrid engine production soon to be relocated
While the factory has manufactured dozens of engines, it currently only produces three: a hybrid, a diesel and a gasoline. “Every month, management cuts activity and gradually closes lines. It’s a long-term project and they want to finish it“, estimates Régis Scheenaerts. According to him, production of the hybrid engine will stop by the end of the month and be relocated to Hungary.. Today, the factory only manufactures around 2,000 engines per day; this production could very well be done elsewhere in other factories of the group in France or in Europe, believes the trade unionist.
“A social heist plan is coming” at Stellantis, for his part declared Monday October 14 to our colleagues at franceinfo Franck Théry, substitute central union delegate at the CGT Stellantis. “Several tens of thousands of jobs are threatened. This isn’t big news, considering Carlos Tavares has already started destroying the auto industry“, adds Franck Théry. This Monday on RTL, Carlos Tavares described it as “error“and of”double punishment“the French government’s announcement of increased penalties on gasoline and diesel cars as part of the 2025 draft budget. For Franck Théry, the problem”it’s not the penalty“, more “salaries that do not follow“. “We make vehicles ourselves that we can’t afford to buy“, while the employees “are potential customers“, he explains.
Contacted by France Bleu Nord, Stellantis management did not wish to react. The CGT of Stellantis Douvrin, for its part, asks Douvrin employees to walk off Thursday October 17 to demonstrate at the Paris Motor Show.
