Ford now in trouble with French government over plant closures.
02-03-19, 04:48 PM
#1
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Ford now in trouble with French government over plant closures.
Although this is not directly associated with Ford's American market, the corporation, in addition to its problems with the American and Canadian governments over plant-closures, is now also in hot water with the French.
These articles are a more than a month old, but reflect a steadily-worsening reputation of the corporation in a number of countries.
https://phys.org/news/2018-10-ford-o...y-closure.html
"Stop job cuts" read the T-shirts of trade unionists greeting French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire at a meeting Monday with Ford management over the fate of the Blanquefort factory outside Bordeaux in southwestern France. Some 850 jobs are at riskUS carmaker Ford came under fire from the French government on Monday over its plans to close a factory producing gear boxes in southwest France that employs 850 people.After a stormy meeting between management and French officials, Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire sounded furious at the US group's desire to shut the plant near Bordeaux, rather than sell it to a French buyer.
"If they think they can just shut up shop and that the state and local authorities won't react, then they're making a mistake," Le Maire told reporters. "We're going to fight and we won't be taken advantage of."
"Ford's position cannot be defended and what can't be defended needs to be combatted," he added.
Ford announced in February that it would stop investing in its Blanquefort plant, which has produced gear boxes since 1972, and the issue has been raised by the French and US governments.
The site has become another battleground between French trade unions and American multinationals that are often portrayed in France as heartless job-slashing capitalists.
Plans by US appliance maker Whirlpool to close a factory in the northern town of Amiens became a controversy during last year's presidential election campaign, which was won by centrist Emmanuel Macron.
One of Macron's far-left rivals, Philippe Poutou, is a mechanic at Ford's Blanquefort plant who became a minor celebrity during the election with his angry denunciations of multinationals and a pledge to outlaw redundancies.
Other past factory closures by American companies such as Goodyear and Caterpillar, part of a wider trend of industrial decline in France, have also led to bitterness and public campaigns.
Bordeaux's mayor, former prime minister Alain Juppe, walked out of the meeting with Ford's management on Monday before the end—and angrily denounced the company afterwards as "leading us on".
Juppe and Le Maire's anger has focused on Ford's reluctance to favour an offer for the site from Punch Powerglide, a manufacturer based in the eastern French city of Strasbourg, which would come with pledges of more state aid.
"I spoke to the chairman of Ford last Friday by phone and the chairman told me that between a purchase of the site by Punch and the closure of the site, Ford preferred closing the factory," Le Maire said.
"I completely disagree with this choice," he added.
https://phys.org/news/2018-12-ford-a...e-factory.html
Ford accused of 'treachery' in France over factory closure
December 13, 2018
Ford is under fire from the French government for shuttering a factory French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire accused Ford of "treachery" and "cowardice" on Thursday in a furious reaction to the US automaker's decision to shutter a factory near Bordeaux and snub a potential buyer.Around 850 jobs are on the line at the Blanquefort plant in the southwest of the country, which has turned out gear boxes for Ford since 1972.
The French government has been involved in negotiations to find a buyer and supported a bid from Franco-Belgian equipment manufacturer Punch Powerglide, based in the eastern city of Strasbourg.
But Ford said Thursday that it planned to reject a takeover offer and would instead offer redundancies to the staff ahead of an end to production there in August 2019.
"I want to denounce the cowardice of Ford, which I have tried to talk to for three days and which did not have the courage to take a call from the economy and finance minister," Le Maire told senators in Paris.
"I want to denounce the treachery of Ford towards its more than 800 employees at the Blanquefort site," he added. "They have been betrayed by Ford."
In a statement, Ford's local subsidiary FAI said that "we do not believe that the plans presented by the potential buyer offer a level of security and protection, or limit the risk of future job losses, which we are seeking for FAI employees."
'Treachery', 'cowardice' - harsh words from the finance ministerFord "acknowledges the commitment and efforts of the French government to develop a viable and robust takeover plan, as well as the intensive efforts from the unions of FAI and the potential buyer," it added.
Jean-Marc Chavant, a staff representative from the Force Ouvriere union, expressed his "immense disappointment" at Ford's decision.
"It was understandable, it was what we feared, but we had started to hope a little bit," he told AFP.
The Ford factory has become another battleground between French trade unions and American multinationals that are often portrayed in France as heartless, job-slashing capitalists.
Plans by US appliance maker Whirlpool to close a factory in the northern town of Amiens became a controversy during last year's presidential election campaign, which was won by centrist Emmanuel Macron—who was born in the city.
These articles are a more than a month old, but reflect a steadily-worsening reputation of the corporation in a number of countries.
https://phys.org/news/2018-10-ford-o...y-closure.html
"Stop job cuts" read the T-shirts of trade unionists greeting French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire at a meeting Monday with Ford management over the fate of the Blanquefort factory outside Bordeaux in southwestern France. Some 850 jobs are at riskUS carmaker Ford came under fire from the French government on Monday over its plans to close a factory producing gear boxes in southwest France that employs 850 people.After a stormy meeting between management and French officials, Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire sounded furious at the US group's desire to shut the plant near Bordeaux, rather than sell it to a French buyer.
"If they think they can just shut up shop and that the state and local authorities won't react, then they're making a mistake," Le Maire told reporters. "We're going to fight and we won't be taken advantage of."
"Ford's position cannot be defended and what can't be defended needs to be combatted," he added.
Ford announced in February that it would stop investing in its Blanquefort plant, which has produced gear boxes since 1972, and the issue has been raised by the French and US governments.
The site has become another battleground between French trade unions and American multinationals that are often portrayed in France as heartless job-slashing capitalists.
Plans by US appliance maker Whirlpool to close a factory in the northern town of Amiens became a controversy during last year's presidential election campaign, which was won by centrist Emmanuel Macron.
One of Macron's far-left rivals, Philippe Poutou, is a mechanic at Ford's Blanquefort plant who became a minor celebrity during the election with his angry denunciations of multinationals and a pledge to outlaw redundancies.
Other past factory closures by American companies such as Goodyear and Caterpillar, part of a wider trend of industrial decline in France, have also led to bitterness and public campaigns.
Bordeaux's mayor, former prime minister Alain Juppe, walked out of the meeting with Ford's management on Monday before the end—and angrily denounced the company afterwards as "leading us on".
Juppe and Le Maire's anger has focused on Ford's reluctance to favour an offer for the site from Punch Powerglide, a manufacturer based in the eastern French city of Strasbourg, which would come with pledges of more state aid.
"I spoke to the chairman of Ford last Friday by phone and the chairman told me that between a purchase of the site by Punch and the closure of the site, Ford preferred closing the factory," Le Maire said.
"I completely disagree with this choice," he added.
https://phys.org/news/2018-12-ford-a...e-factory.html
Ford accused of 'treachery' in France over factory closure
December 13, 2018
Ford is under fire from the French government for shuttering a factory French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire accused Ford of "treachery" and "cowardice" on Thursday in a furious reaction to the US automaker's decision to shutter a factory near Bordeaux and snub a potential buyer.Around 850 jobs are on the line at the Blanquefort plant in the southwest of the country, which has turned out gear boxes for Ford since 1972.
The French government has been involved in negotiations to find a buyer and supported a bid from Franco-Belgian equipment manufacturer Punch Powerglide, based in the eastern city of Strasbourg.
But Ford said Thursday that it planned to reject a takeover offer and would instead offer redundancies to the staff ahead of an end to production there in August 2019.
"I want to denounce the cowardice of Ford, which I have tried to talk to for three days and which did not have the courage to take a call from the economy and finance minister," Le Maire told senators in Paris.
"I want to denounce the treachery of Ford towards its more than 800 employees at the Blanquefort site," he added. "They have been betrayed by Ford."
In a statement, Ford's local subsidiary FAI said that "we do not believe that the plans presented by the potential buyer offer a level of security and protection, or limit the risk of future job losses, which we are seeking for FAI employees."
'Treachery', 'cowardice' - harsh words from the finance ministerFord "acknowledges the commitment and efforts of the French government to develop a viable and robust takeover plan, as well as the intensive efforts from the unions of FAI and the potential buyer," it added.
Jean-Marc Chavant, a staff representative from the Force Ouvriere union, expressed his "immense disappointment" at Ford's decision.
"It was understandable, it was what we feared, but we had started to hope a little bit," he told AFP.
The Ford factory has become another battleground between French trade unions and American multinationals that are often portrayed in France as heartless, job-slashing capitalists.
Plans by US appliance maker Whirlpool to close a factory in the northern town of Amiens became a controversy during last year's presidential election campaign, which was won by centrist Emmanuel Macron—who was born in the city.
Last edited by mmarshall; 02-03-19 at 09:18 PM.
02-03-19, 09:10 PM
#2
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easy for politicians to trash corporations... even ones that have provided employment for nearly a half century. without those employers the politicians wouldn't have a job, and they'd have no country. but sure, go ahead, trash corporations as 'treacherous', 'cowardly', etc., instead of wondering if france like a lot of europe has become a pretty horrible place to do business compared to other places.
02-03-19, 09:20 PM
#3
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
easy for politicians to trash corporations... even ones that have provided employment for nearly a half century. without those employers the politicians wouldn't have a job, and they'd have no country. but sure, go ahead, trash corporations as 'treacherous', 'cowardly', etc., instead of wondering if france like a lot of europe has become a pretty horrible place to do business compared to other places.
Last edited by mmarshall; 02-03-19 at 09:23 PM.
02-04-19, 05:38 PM
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