Bordeaux’s Metropolis Council says it deplores “with the greatest force” Ford Aquitaine Industries’ (FAI) decision to put its automatic transmission plant at Blanqefort up for sale threatening 900 jobs should no buyer be found.
Labour bodies, regional Councils and the French government have united in condemning Ford’s move, with unions in particular expressing fears the workforce, with an average of 51, will struggle to find future employment should the site close.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Ford has started talking to its Works Council at the plant and has established a taskforce liaising with an external company specialised in finding new business owners, to identify potential buyers.
FAI has presented a social plan which includes redeployment and early retirement programmes, together with measures to help staff relocate with new employers should no new owner be found and closure follows.
“Bordeaux Metropolis Council deplores with the greatest force, Ford’s decision,” said a statement from the authority in South West France. “This decision is incomprehensible as the plant is recognised for the skills of its workforce and productivity.
“It is also premature because Géris [management consultants], was asked by Ford only two months ago, to look for potential buyers [and] has found several possibilities and is far from finishing its job. Equally, discussions are taking place between Ford and an [unnamed] industrial operation which visited the factory on 30 May.
“The launching of a jobs safeguard initiative [Plan de Sauvegarde de l’Emploi] moreover risks, with the encouraged departure of staff, losing skills indispensable to the success of a takeover. The Bordeaux Metropolis has constantly supported, through financial help and public works, Ford’s development projects since its start at Blanquefort in 1973.
“The [French] State must maintain the greatest vigilance so Ford assumes its responsibilities and grants to any buyer, for several years, a sufficient order book and help, so as to ensure the right transition conditions.”
Ford countered it understood the current situation was “a challenging time” for FAI employees and it was committed to finding a long-term solution for the site, working with unions, regional Councils and the French government.
“Our priority remains finding a viable new owner for the FAI site.,” said a Ford statement sent to just-auto. “This work is making good progress, and we would expect to have more to say later this summer. Any potential new owner must have a sustainable business plan and any agreement would work collectively in the interests of Ford, FAI employees, and the purchaser.
“Ford has a Non-Disclosure Agreement with a third party so more detailed discussions can take place. It was clear from our dialogue with the French state and from FAI’s employees clarity was important to reduce the uncertainty should a new owner not be found.
“We also would like to make it clear we believe Ford has lived up to its contractual obligations and have fulfilled our responsibilities in relation to the EUR26.5m (US$31m) in funding that has helped to support Ford’s EUR144m investment at FAI since 2011.”
