Alstom workers protest over threat of historic site closure

Record ID: 85232

  • Title: Alstom workers protest over threat of historic site closure
  • Date: 27th September 2016
  • Summary: SAINT-OUEN, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 27, 2016) (REUTERS) ALSTOM WORKERS ARRIVING SOUNDING HORNS AT ALSTOM HEADQUARTERS VARIOUS OF WORKERS OUTSIDE ALSTOM HEADQUARTERS HEAD OF CGT WORKERS' UNION, PHILIPPE MARTINEZ, ARRIVING AT ALSTOM HQ MARTINEZ SHAKING HANDS WITH OTHER UNION MEMBERS WORKERS LISTENING TO SPEECHES (SOUNDBITE) (French) HEAD OF CGT WORKERS' UNION, PHILIPPE MARTINEZ, SAYING: "We won't close the Belfort site, that's what we want, nothing else." VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE ALSTOM HQ (SOUNDBITE) (French) CFDT UNION REPRESENTATIVE, OLIVIER KOHLER, SAYING: "Belfort workers came by TGV (Alstom's high speed train), the fruit of their labour, our mobilisation needs to target the government too so that it bangs its fists on the table once and for all to find markets which can ensure an acceptable work load in Belfort and on all of Alstom's sites. We need to stay mobilised and we won't give in." DEMONSTRATION UNDERWAY STICKER READING (French): "No to the closure." BANNERS ON GATE VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE ALSTOM HEADQUARTERS
  • Embargoed: 12th October 2016 13:57
  • Keywords: Alstom Belfort demonstration
  • Location: SAINT-OUEN AND BELFORT, FRANCE
  • City: SAINT-OUEN AND BELFORT, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Company News Markets,Economic Events
  • Reuters ID: LVA00151CEZPJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: French Alstom workers demonstrated outside the train maker's headquarters on Tuesday (September 27) against plans that would transfer activity from its historic site in northeastern France.
    Alstom, which is 20 percent state-owned, unleashed a political storm seven months ahead of France's 2017 presidential election when it announced plans to stop producing trains at Belfort and transfer more than 400 workers to other sites.
    The Socialist-led government is in talks with Alstom to prevent the company transferring manufacturing from the plant, which made France's first high-speed trains as well as the company's first steam engine in 1880.
    Several hundred sounded horns and blew whistles as they gathered outside the company's headquarters asking for the French government to intervene.
    "We won't close the Belfort site, that's what we want, nothing else," head of the CGT union Philippe Martinez said.
    Plans for the partial closure of Alstom's historic Belfort site were put on hold pending the presentation of a government plan aimed at helping the train maker to maintain production, unions said on Monday.
    Alstom Chief Executive Henri Poupart-Lafarge told workers' representatives that the closure plan was suspended until the plans had been disclosed, a CFE-CGC union official said.
    The government is due to present its proposals on Sept. 30.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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