French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s cabinet secretary is to receive a delegation from the CFE-CGC union tomorrow (5 January) in a bid to thrash out new ownership plans for the Fonderie du Poitou Aluminium (FPA) that suppliers Renault with cylinder heads.
The foundry – currently in receivership – was recently at the heart of a bitter dispute with the unions claiming owners Montupet wanted to impose the equivalent of a 25% pay cut and has attracted the attention of French politicians at the highest level as the country prepares to enter a Presidential election campaign this year.
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Sarkozy will be in the Poitou-Charentes department – where FDP is based – to present the traditional new year’s wishes from the President of the Republic – with his cabinet secretary discussing the contentious issue of any new ownership with CFE-CGC.
“On Thursday, M. Sarkozy is coming 25km from the [FDP] factory [and] we are being received by his cabinet secretary,” CFE-CGC main union official Alex Jamain told just-auto from France.
“Sarkozy wrote to us saying he would not let fall FDP and in any case he would find a solution to guarantee jobs, that Renault would continue to guarantee work from us. As the State owns 15% of Renault, the State finances us indirectly.”
The union official said there were two potential bidders for FDP – one of which was Groupe Arche – although he added what the labour organisation wanted was to be re-integrated with former owners Renault.
FDP still enjoys a close relationship with Renault, but Jamain noted the French automaker now only required weekly production of 10,000 cylinder heads compared to its usual 18,000.
The foundry employs 460 staff, although 25 have left since the start of what Jamain referred to as the “conflict” that saw employees stage a two-month strike.
“I am confident,” Jamain said. “I am confident either with reintegration with Renault or with a group Renault designates.”
