Renault Takes On French Unions, Unions Incensed
Renault opened negotiations on a new labor deal for France with a big squeeze, Reuters reports. Renault wants pay and working time concessions from its French workers. If Renault doesn’t get a good deal, jobs could go elsewhere.
Renault said it wants a deal by January, and will not choose production sites for future models before then.
“There is a clear blackmail attempt here to link factory decisions with the productivity issues,” a CGT union official said.
Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn had dropped ample hints that the company doesn’t have to be in France, and that it could leave the country if Renault is unable to compete at home.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
More by Bertel Schmitt
Comments
Join the conversation
Seem to remember the same comments from the same person about Japan- Nissan- and the Yen. It must be great to be King er.. CEO of a multinational corporation. Probably GM could have benefited from this type of strategy before it began to drown in the legacy debts. Maybe wouldn't have fit nearly so well.
“There is a clear blackmail attempt here to link factory decisions with the productivity issues,” a CGT union official said. This quote can't mean what it appears to, right?
Well, no one knows more about blackmail than a union. It's what they're all about: "accept our demands or we'll destroy the business". Ghosn should move production to Mexico, where workers appreciate jobs.
The union can declare victory when they strike and Renault moves production elsewhere. That'll show 'em.