GERMANY: German and French Continental auto industry workers demonstrate against job cuts as company's annual general meeting gets underway

Record ID: 699599

  • Title: GERMANY: German and French Continental auto industry workers demonstrate against job cuts as company's annual general meeting gets underway
  • Date: 25th April 2009
  • Summary: HANOVER, GERMANY (APRIL 23, 2009) (REUTERS) (CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY) THOUSANDS OF "CONTINENTAL" EMPLOYEES FROM GERMANY, FRANCE AND A HANDFUL FROM MEXICO GATHERED FOR PROTEST OUTSIDE HANOVER'S CONGRESS CENTRE WHERE COMPANY'S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING IS ONGOING FRENCH AND UNION FLAGS FLYING EMPLOYEES APPLAUDING EMPLOYEES APPLAUDING BEHIND PILE OF TIRES PAN ACROSS EMPLOYEES PLACARDS IN CROWD MAN WEARING YELLOW HARD IN CROWD PAN TO MAN WEARING JACKET READING "CONTINENTAL CLAIROIX" CONTINENTAL CLAIROIX WORKS COUNCIL SPOKESMAN XAVIER MATHIEU ADDRESSING CROWD ON STAGE EMPLOYEES CHEERING BACK SHOT OF MATHIEU SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (French) XAVIER MATHIEU, SPOKESMAN "CONTINENTAL" CLAIROIX (FRANCE) WORKS COUNCIL SAYING "What I hope is that all these people just shut up. Let me tell you, to be honest, all that has happened in Compiegne (northeast of Paris) is because of people like them. The workers are fed up to have their hopes risen all the time, then they are crushed, then they are risen. If they have to tell us something it better be confirmed. Otherwise, they should shut up." PAN FROM MEXICAN CONTINENTAL UNION REPRESENTATIVE FREDERICO GONZALEZ TO BANNER IN GERMAN READING "AGAINST CONTI ARBITRARINESS - SOLIDARITY - MEXICO" (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FREDERICO GONZALEZ, "CONTINENTAL" CUAUTLA (MEXICO) UNION REPRESENTATIVE SAYING "Our union proposes to create a united front, a world union and to globalise the fight. If Continental globalises its strategies the Continental workers should create a world union." PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PICTURES AT ANNUAL MEETING OF "CONTINENTAL" MARIA-ELISABETH SCHAEFFLER, CEO OF THE SCHAEFFLER GROUP AND CONTROLLING "CONTINENTAL" SHAREHOLDER, ON PODIUM CAMERA VARIOUS OF PODIUM VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SEATED IN AUDIENCE
  • Embargoed: 10th May 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Employment,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA3H4P082G7VD82PNYS1V28CQUF
  • Story Text: Thousands of German and French employees of German auto parts group Continental AG demonstrated against job cuts in Hanover on Thursday (April 23) where the company's annual general meeting was underway.
    Continental announced on March 11 it would close its Clairoix site in northern France as well as a German plant at Hanover because of a severe auto industry crisis.
    Since then, Clairoix workers staged a series of protests to combat the closure, which will eliminate 1,120 jobs in France, a total loss of 1,900 jobs in both countries.
    Xavier Mathieu, works council spokesman for the Continental Clairoix plant, told reporters that workers were "fed up" with having their hopes for the future crushed.

    "What I hope is that all these people just shut up," Mathieu said, referring to the participants of the general meeting.

    "To be honest, all that has happened in Compiegne (northeast of Paris) is because of people like them.
    Earlier this week, several hundred employees destroyed the offices of the regional administration in Compiegne, an act the French prime minister called "unacceptable."
    Works council spokesman Xavier Mathieu said of the Continental management that "if they have to tell us something it better be confirmed. Otherwise, they should shut up."
    Continental AG planned to present investors with an overall strategic concept in the next 100 days at the latest, according to its chief executive.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register