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18 September, 2006
Total said it will, between 2006 and 2012, close down several production lines at two different petrochemical sites in France: the TotalPetroChemicals Carling plant in the Lorraine region and the Gonfreville site in Normandy. This announcement by the company, which will result in the loss of another 300 jobs, comes only three months after the Arkema spin off, which already led to a serious reduction in the number of jobs at Total.
In a press communiqué, ICEM affiliated FCE-CFDT called the restructuring exercise “purely defensive.” The company will take a €300 million charge to end the production of Styrene - a colourless toxic liquid used to make, among other products, polymers and rubber - at Carling, with a partial transfer of production to the Gonfreville site. Another €80 million charge on the company’s books will go towards a better exchange of products between the two sites.
Not only does the union find it difficult to see the economic logic of the plan, it also warns against the environmental dangers for both workers and general public, as Total will have to start traversing France by train to get extra benzene and styrene from one plant to another.
The union calls for an independent expert to look into the social and environmental risks. It will also approach the industry minister to present an alternative industrial project.