Continental "will not return" on plant closings
16 March 2009
German automotive supplier Continental will not return "on the planned closure of two factories in Europe, including the Clairoix in France, said its director of personnel at Handelsblatt newspaper published Monday.
"We can not go back, and we will not return to our objectives of removing excess capacity," said Heinz-Gerhard Wente.
"There is no guarantee and no breach of legal obligation," he said, hammering the official position of Continental in the case of plant closures.
The manufacturer of tires and automotive equipment announced Wednesday the closure of two sites in Europe, the Clairoix employs 1120 people, and in Hanover, northern Germany.
The reaction was not slow in France, French President Nicolas Sarkozy questioned about respect for the guarantees given by Continental on the sustainability of the site Clairoix last fall.
According to union representatives of the French plant, an agreement on the return to work 40 hours weekly signed in late 2007 was to ensure the sustainability of the site until 2012.
Mr. Wente has also ensured that the acquisition of Continental by Schaeffler family business, a transaction which was dangerous off the debt of both parties, had nothing to do with plant closures, says Handelsblatt style indirect.
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BERLIN (AFP)
