France - labour disputes

Continental workers end factory occupation

Article published on the 2009-05-07 Latest update 2009-05-07 11:51 TU

French and German employees of the Continental tyre company demonstrate in Hanover, 23 April 2009
(Photo: Reuters)

Workers for the German tyre-maker Continental successfully pushed their management to hold talks with unions after a half-day factory occupation of nearly 400 workers in Sarreguemines, France, on 6 May.

Workers from the Clairoix, France, site were protesting the management's proposal to close the site in 2010.

"Continental solidarity!" chanted the workers. The Clairoix workers went to Continental's  French headquarters in Sarreguemines, demanding for immediate talks.

The company originally proposed to meet with unions on 27 May but revised the date to 12 May, following the protest. The meeting will be held in Hanover, Germany.

This comes on the heels of a 6 May meeting in Hanover between Continental and its potential buyer MAG, a car accessory company based in Dubai.

But on Thursday the head on Continental, Karl-Thomas Neumann, told his company's stockholders that the automobile industry has a long road to recovery from the financial crisis.

"It will, in fact, probably take five years before demand is back
to its pre-crisis level in 2007," he said.

Continental is prepared to sell the Clairoix site - including all equipment and workers - and is expecting a response from MAG imminently.