A powerful Renault union says PSA Peugeot Citroen’s plans to drastically cut its workforce have “really shaken” its members and although Boulogne-Billancourt insists it has no plans to lay off staff, cites France’s “fragile equilibrium” as worrying.
France has been devastated by news of PSA’s intention to axe up to 8,000 jobs and close its Aulnay plant, with the severe pruning leading labour bodies to question who is next on the list of manufacturers looking to address chronic over-capacity and weak European performance issues.
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“Of course, the PSA news has really shaken Renault employees concerning the real fragility of jobs at the heart of both manufacturers,” said a statement from the CFE-CGC union.
“[We] urge meaningful discussions start quickly between management and unions to find the best solutions to minimise job losses and/or to help support those most affected by these measures.”
However, in keeping with its status as one of the French automotive sector’s more moderate labour bodies, the CFE-CGC is not using inflammatory language, in stark contrast to some of its fellow unions, which have invoked war-like references in their complete opposition to PSA’s plans.
The scale of PSA’s announcement has genuinely sent reverberations through France, with PSA CEO, Philippe Varin, being summoned this week to the Economics Ministry to explain the job cuts, while French President, Francois Hollande, has branded them ‘unacceptable.’
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By GlobalDataBut Renault has moved to reassure its workforce it has no current plans to embark on a similar course to PSA, although it nonetheless starkly laid out the challenges facing the company.
“We say when we announced our industrial policy, we say we are engaged towards people,” a Renault spokeswoman told just-auto from Paris. “To maintain…our plants, not to lay off [staff] and to do any social plan.
“We are worried about this fragile equilibrium within the industry in France and Europe. We are worried about the consequences of the [PSA] decision, of the balance of the situation, which is already tense in the automotive sector.”
Responding to the CFE-CGC concerns, the Renault spokeswoman added: “The unions are not Renault’s official voice.”
