Alarm clock difficult for the employees of General Electric (GE). Less than 24 hours after learning that 1044 positions would be eliminated in France due to a social plan, that is, once again, in the face of uncertainty. This Wednesday, the inter-union calls on the government to “stop this scandal, the carnage that has no other purpose than to relocate the business outside of France and that is in no way an adaptation to the market”. On franceinfo, one of them, located on the site of Belfort – in the most highly affected by this draft plan social, testifies to the brutality of the new, explaining that he has learned directly to the radio. Because, “theoretically”, the procedure should be “confidential”, regrets this morning Agnès Pannier-Runacher, State secretary to the minister of Economy and Finance. And despite this painful, although already on the table for several weeks, the secretary of State is actively trying to reassure the employees of the factory of the territory of Belfort. The micro franceinfo, she presented the four objectives will be those of the government during the negotiations with the american giant: decrease the magnitude of the social plan, to reclassify employees on other sites of GE in France, to reinvigorate the site of Belfort and reclassified in other businesses those who do may be to GE.
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“In any event, resumed the minister, we look at all the projects and we do the maximum to achieve”. The primary wish of the government for the time being to preserve the industrial capability to Belfort and to accompany the individual employees of the factory. “One has the impression that everything is going to stop but this is not the case,” says also Agnès Pannier-Runacher, who imagine, however, the negotiations with GE to extend some time. “It’s not going to be completed before the end of the year, it’s going to take several months”.
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Confident, Bercy calls to respect the commitments
In Brussels, the president of the Republic expressed his side of any warranty of the executive. “We will be extremely vigilant to ensure that all the commitments that have been made by GE are required to” ensuring “the mobilization of all the government to ensure that all solutions are found”. In fact, by buying in 2015 the energy hub of Alstom for € 9.7 billion, under the influence of the current president, the american conglomerate was committed to maintaining jobs in France for at least three years. This is why the French sites have so far been spared by the poor health of the american giant, which has cut 12,000 jobs in its energy hub in December 2017. However, the branch gas turbine, mostly included in the social plan for today had been sold to GE since 1999 and therefore does not fall within the framework of these commitments, which led to the intersyndicale to speak of “treason”.
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On these commitments, the minister Bruno Le Maire said he is intended to be reassuring: “the fund revitalization of industrial of € 50 million is in place, his boss has been appointed and is currently working on the possibilities of reindustrialization of the site”. It then suggests a work on the nuclear, aerospace, or hydrogen to revitalize this site, who now works for the coal-fired power plants. Ten years ago, they were making more than 100 gas turbines per year, compared to only 29 in 2018. “We expect GE to be absolutely exemplary” on the social plan, resumes Agnès Pannier-Runacher, who adds that in cases of discord, the State will have the means to make pressure. “It already has, if the social plan is judged to be insufficient”. And to conclude: “generally, what happens is that people improve the social plan”. By then, the direction of GE and representatives of staff should meet in mid-June.
General Electrics removes 1000 jobs in Belfort – Watching on Figaro Live
