Some 150 employees of the Michelin factory in Vannes (Morbihan), which the automotive supplier has decided to close by 2026 with that of Cholet (Maine-et-Loire), demonstrated on Friday morning to demand the maintenance of jobs in France , according to the CGT.
The striking employees gathered shortly after 6:00 a.m. in front of their factory before forming a procession to reach a roundabout near an expressway, for a “filtering action with towing”, Christophe Villate told AFP, Michelin CGT union representative in Vannes.
The demonstrators marched behind a banner proclaiming “Michelin tires without employees, it's just air” and some brandished white crosses symbolizing the planned death of their factory, which they then planted in front of the site, which has a total of 299 employees.
The general secretary of the CGT, Sophie Binet, is expected in Vannes in the morning, as is a delegation of left-wing elected officials and leaders, including MP François Ruffin.
A similar demonstration is planned in front of the Cholet factory (Maine-et-Loire), which employs more than 900 people, which the French tire giant has also decided to close before 2026.
The Minister Delegate in charge of Industry, Marc Ferracci, must go to Cholet during the day to speak with the unions and meet the employees of the Michelin site.
The group's inter-union association is also organizing a rally in Clermont-Ferrand, where the head office is located.
“Most of the anger is that we put in place an agreement on responsiveness and versatility so that the site would be more competitive. The employees played the game, we filled in all the boxes and despite all that , we are being told it will close,” lamented Christophe Villate of the CGT.
“And there is also anger when we see the results of the French sites: 20% of the group's results, of the profit, it is the French sites which make it, knowing that there are eleven industrial sites in France out of around 109 in the world, so we are still economically viable!”, estimated the trade unionist.
According to him, the remuneration of Michelin managers increased by 10% last year, as did the dividends paid to shareholders, “while the employees had just a 2% increase. That's what is sickening,” he insisted.
