Saturday, September 24, 2016

Alstom: Belfort “dead city” for a day of mobilization – Challenges.fr

Manifestation of employeeés Alstom in  front of the siège de la société 15  September 2016 à  Belfort-AFP/Archives/Sebastien  Bozon

Manifestation of the employees of Alstom in front of the headquarters of the company on the 15th September 2016 at Belfort-AFP/Archives/Sebastien Bozon

“anger is rising in Belfort” where the continuous mobilization to save the historical site of the Alstom: employees and residents are called to manifest Saturday, and the merchants to lower their curtain support Alsthommes at a full-day “city of dead”.

It is the second day of action after a first appearance on 15 September, which was attended by some 2,000 people in support of the 480 employees of the historic site.

Since the announcement in early September by the transfer of the activity of Alstom Belfort to Reichshoffen (Bas-Rhin), the city is suspended in the negotiations that are underway between the government and the management of the group.

The day “city of dead” will aim “to show that anger is rising in Belfort and to put pressure on the government and on the direction” of the industrial group, explained to AFP the mayor of this community of 50,000 inhabitants, Damien Meslot (LR).

The mayor Damien Meslot with employeeés  Alstom on 14 September 2016 à  Belfort-AFP/Archives/SEBASTIEN  BOZON

mayor Damien Meslot with employees of Alstom September 14, 2016 to Belfort-AFP/Archives/SEBASTIEN BOZON

The municipal official hopes for a mobilization “very well attended”, because, according to him, “people are very supportive” of the future of the factory, from where came out the first TGV in 1971, and which depend almost 900 indirect jobs.

A large gathering is expected at 14: 00 place de la résistance, where a procession will leave up to the prefecture. At the same time, marketers are being called upon to lower their curtain 14: 00 to 15: 00.

The public services open Saturday, such as museums, will also be closed for an hour and the public transport network will be free of charge.

On the other hand, most of the national brands such as FNAC or the New Galleries will open normally, says the president of the shopkeepers association of the shopping center in The Suburbs, Philippe Engélyc.

- 400 families -

The Confederation of crafts and small enterprises of the Building has also been called the artisans of the building “to join massively in the engagement”.

Manifestation of employeeés Alstom on 15  September 2016 à  Belfort-AFP/Archives/Sebastien  Bozon

Manifestation of the employees of Alstom on September 15, 2016 to Belfort-AFP/Archives/Sebastien Bozon

“The city has always been concerned about what is happening in the plant, and in this difficult period, the residents and traders feel connected to Alsthommes” said Olivier Kohler, delegate CFDT Alstom Belfort, satisfied to see that “everyone goes to the niche to save the jobs”.

“The departure of 400 families would have an undeniable impact on the economy of the city” and this day “city of dead” show “the important relation which exists, since 137 years, between the plant and the population”, notes the trade union.

mobilization comes at a time when the government promised to introduce “in the coming days” solutions to maintain to maintain the production of trains at Alstom’s Belfort, and a central works council (CEC) extraordinary is convened on Monday at the group’s headquarters in Saint-Ouen (Seine-Saint-Denis).

A second CTE, the ordinary, will follow on Tuesday morning. The 9,000 employees of the twelve sites in france are called on to strike on the same day and a demonstration is planned in Saint-Ouen, at 11: 00 am. Employees belfortains will arrive in a TGV train specially chartered by the inter-union (CFE-CGC, CGT, CFDT, FP).

LikeTweet

No comments:

Post a Comment