French Unions Call Michelin Action

French unions have called for protest action at Michelin tyre plants throughout France tomorrow, 21 September.

At issue are the company's plans to restructure and to cut thousands of jobs.

On 8 Sept, Michelin announced a 20 percent growth in net income during the first half of this year. In the same breath, the French-based tyre giant said it was going to fire 7,500 of the workers who produced this outstanding result.

Cartoon: Thierry Lenoir/ICEM

"This decision is unacceptable both in its form and in its substance," says French chemical and energy workers' federation FCE-CFDT, which organises Michelin workers. It notes that neither the unions nor Michelin's workers were told about the plan before it was publicly announced. The FCE-CFDT accuses Michelin of "visceral contempt" for "both the unions and the workers, who are never considered either as partners or as people."

The union recalls that Michelin brought in no less than eight "social plans" in France alone between 1982 and 1998. Altogether, these cut the workforce from 52,000 to 27,000.

Michelin is also showing its disdain for small shareholders, the FCE-CFDT says, because they will not benefit from the surge in the company's share price. The profits are being taken by speculators.

Not least, Michelin's announcement demonstrates "provocation and contempt vis-a-vis the [French] government and the parliamentarians who decided that the working week should be cut from 39 hours to 35 on 1 January 2000, in order to create jobs and reduce unemployment." As the union points out, Michelin has been particularly vocal in its opposition to the government's plan for work time cuts.

Stressing that the company "is 'managing' its employment at the European level," the FCE-CFDT calls for the establishment of a European Works Council within Michelin, and says this "should happen within the next few days."

For comments by French union Fédéchimie CGTFO, which also organises Michelin workers, see ICEM UPDATE 53/1999.

At the global level, the FCE-CFDT and Fédéchimie CGTFO are affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).

"The ICEM and its unions worldwide pledge full support to the campaign by our French brothers and sisters," commented ICEM General Secretary Vic Thorpe. "Michelin has long been known as a patriarchal, arrogant employer. If this company is to drag itself into the twentieth century, it does not have much time left."