World Economy

Apr 29, 2008

Peugeot Motorcycles: less than RTT or the door?

Peugeot Motorcycles: less than RTT or the door?

The last manufacturer of scooters french asks its employees of its two plants to forego 11 days of leave, failing which it will manufacture its new 125 cm3 Taiwan.

Blackmail according to the unions, economic realism dictated by the global market for direction. Today, the central committee of company Peugeot Motorcycles will decide whether the approximately 1,000 employees in its last two French factories, Mandeure (Doubs) and Dannemarie (Haut-Rhin), relinquishing half of their days RTT (22 days at present).
In case of refusal, the direction of the last french scooter manufacturer warns that it will entrust the future production of 125 cm3 of the mark lion at its plant in Taiwan. What prevents Peugeot Motorcycles, would hover serious threats to the durability of employment in both french sites. Sites that have absolutely need new activities to continue to exist.

Competitiveness insufficient

To encourage its employees to return french agreement on reduction of working hours signed in 1999, management of Peugeot Motorcycles argue that its plants and Mandeure Dannemarie are in bad financial situation because of a insiffisante productivity and costs manufacturing facilities in France about 10% higher than those of Asia.

Sub-heard addresses of employees french: either you work more for the same salary and you become competitive, either you keep your holidays but in the end perhaps not your job.

"We expect more guarantees'

A "blackmail" which is not among unions. "In the current state of things, we will vote again against [the issue of reducing RTT]," said Emmanuel Guillier, delegate central CGT, the site Usinenouvelle.com. We expect more guarantees on maintaining long-term employment. We are ready to discuss the revision of working time, but not without consideration. "

In late 2007, the unions had refused the revision of the agreement and called RTT two-day strike last February.

This renegotiation of 35 hours in enterprises is not unprecedented, far from it. In 2004, Doux, a leading European breton poultry, had removed 23 days RTT its employees in full crisis poultry. At the computer Hewlett-Packard, employees had dropped to twelve days of RTT. This was nevertheless not enough to save all the jobs french.

by erectusplus at 7:36 PM |