two new French factories will close, Cholet employees vote to strike

« Sad » et ” angry “employees of the large Michelin factory in Cholet (Maine-et-Loire) voted, Tuesday, November 5, for the strike, after the announcement in the morning, by the group's management, of the closure before 2026 of the site as well than that of Vannes (Morbihan), which has a total of 1,254 employees.

A Cholet, “they put the 900 employees in a room like cows to the slaughterhouse and [leur ont] announced that it was over”declared to Agence France-Presse (AFP) Morgane Royer, employee since “almost ten years” at Michelin and SUD union representative. Cholet employees blocked the site shortly after management's announcements. In any case, it had planned to stop production until November 13. “It’s the thug version of capitalism”condemned the mayor of Cholet, Gilles Bourdouleix (various right) in front of the employees. “Obviously, the desire for years was to let the situation degenerate and then [d’]arrive at this brutal decision »he denounced.

In Vannes (Morbihan), “the announcement, made by the director, was greeted with great silence. Everyone blames it”testified Eric Boisgard, employee since 2004 and former CGT union delegate.

“Unilateral, brutal and poorly anticipated decision”

Employees had feared these announcements for several weeks. Discussions with the unions had been interrupted. For the group's first union, the CFE-CGC, these closures are “a unilateral, brutal and poorly anticipated decision”condemned its central union delegate, José Tarantini. “It is not a surprise given the industrial activity figures which were only declining, and we understand that there could be restructuring, which does not mean site closure”underlined M. Tarantini.

“Today, we are closing two sites and putting more than 1,200 employees out of work so that Michelin can make more profits and give more dividends to its shareholders”protested the central CGT union delegate, Romain Baciak.

Michelin is going through a difficult year, with the slowdown in the new vehicle market and Asian competition. “It is the collapse of activity which has caused this situation, and I want to tell all these employees that we will not leave anyone behind”declared Michelin CEO Florent Menegaux in an interview with AFP. Michelin had already significantly reduced its presence in France. With those of Poitiers, Toul, Joué-lès-Tours and La Roche-sur-Yon, Michelin will have closed six factories in twenty years.

The Minister of Industry, Marc Ferracci, reacted on Tuesday by asking “an exemplary support plan for employees and territories”. For his part, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Antoine Armand, estimated during a trip to Pas-de-Calais that the site closures announced by Michelin, as well as by Auchan, which plans to eliminate 2 389 jobs in France, “are obviously extremely worrying”.

“Slow deterioration of competitiveness”

The French tire giant is not the only one coughing. The sharp slowdown in the automobile market is causing serious difficulties for European equipment manufacturers, and site closures are continuing. According to Michelin, these two new closures have become “inevitable” due to Asian competition on van and heavy goods vehicle tires, sectors of the Cholet and Vannes factories.

The CEO of Michelin also calls into question a “slow deterioration of competitiveness” of Europe, particularly linked to energy costs, which prevents exports. The company is also preparing to close two factories in Germany by 2025. The group's CFDT estimated in a press release that “Michelin alone decided on the extreme solution”while other possibilities existed for Cholet and Vannes. SUD for its part condemned “an unprecedented social betrayal” et “one of the greatest social disasters in corporate history”.

The Cholet factory employs 955 employees, who mainly manufacture small tires for light trucks, a growing segment. “significant decline” a Europe “without prospect of recovery”justifies Michelin. The Vannes site has 299 employees, who mainly produce metal cables for heavy-duty tires.

Michelin is committed to “support each of the employees concerned with tailor-made solutions”job offers in other companies or within the group, or early retirement. He also promises to “participate in the creation of at least as many jobs as those eliminated” in the territory, as it did in La Roche-sur-Yon, where 635 jobs were created in four years for 613 jobs eliminated, according to the group.