Embattled PSA Peugeot Citroen CEO, Philippe Varin is to appear before a French Parliamentary committee in Paris this Thursday (26 July) as the war of words surrounding his decision axe up to 8,000 jobs refuses to die down.
PSA was not able to say exactly before whom Varin was due to speak at the Assemblee Nationale in Paris, but it did confirm to just-auto from Paris the CEO would appear.
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The summons is is widely believed to have been issued by the Economic Affairs committee anxious about the fall-out not just of the huge job cuts, but the potential supply chain knock-on effect as the automaker closes its Aulnay plant.
The week promises to be an extremely busy one for the PSA chief and his staff with several Works Councils planned and what is thought to be a call to walk out at the manufacturer’s Rennes plant – itself subject to 1,400 planned redundancies.
Varin is also reported to be attending a meeting this afternoon with French Prime Minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, in his Matignon office in the French capital just two days before PSA is due to present its half-year results.
Several of PSA’s unions have reacted with fury to the automaker’s plans to slash its workforce so heavily, while labour bodies from other French manufacturers, notably Renault, have expressed their solidarity with their fellow-workers.
PSA’s plans have seen a bevy of heavyweight Cabinet ministers plough headfirst into the emotive debate, from French President, Francois Hollande, who has slammed the redundancies as ‘unacceptable’ and to Ayrault, who has tasked Economics Redevelopment Minister, Arnaud Montebourg, with securing a solution to the crisis.
Coincidentally, Montebourg is also due to present his automotive industry findings to the French cabinet on 25 July – the same day as PSA’s half-year results and Works Councils.
“With regard to the social stakes linked to the plan announced, we have to understand the current causes of the situation that led to this plan, its consequences, as well as what guarantees the [PSA] Group can offer to maintain long-term industrial activity,” said Ayrault
“PSA has explicitly committed itself to finding an employment solution for each member of staff. The government will make sure it checks this is carried out and will ensure proposed solutions are credible and sustainable.”
