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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFrench criticise 'ignorant' comments by US tyre boss
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21530619A French minister has responded angrily to the boss of US tyremaker Titan who said he would have to be "stupid" to invest in the country.
Maurice Taylor made the claims in a letter to France's minister for industrial recovery, Arnaud Montebourg.
On Thursday, Mr Montebourg replied that Mr Taylor's "extreme" comments showed a "perfect ignorance of what our country is".
He added that 20,000 foreign firms are in France, employing 2 million people.
ProgressiveProfessor
(22,144 posts)steve2470
(37,457 posts)sweetapogee
(1,168 posts)One solution and the best I feel is that the employees should buy the plant and run it. The second option would be for a French company like Michelin should buy it and run it. Then there is a combo solution, a 50% partial employee buyout coupled with a corporate buyout.
badtoworse
(5,957 posts)When Taylor claimed this was the case at the tire plant, the union people did not dispute it. They said it was "the French way".
Is anyone surprised the plant is closing?
Nine
(1,741 posts)We don't know whether that's true or not. Look, if he doesn't want to invest in the plant, don't invest. I don't know much about French labor law, but a paid hour for lunch and breaks doesn't seem crazy. Americans used to work "9 to 5" with a paid lunch break and the country did just fine. Now there are plenty of American factories and businesses where employees work eight hours and get an unpaid lunch hour and those businesses are still not doing well.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)And Taylor is a POS
badtoworse
(5,957 posts)Given the bad press they got, I would expect one, unless they're willing to let Taylor's statement stand.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)Why would they get into a pissing match with this fool...the Ministry has responded...no need for anything else.
badtoworse
(5,957 posts)The fact is the plant is closing and apparently, the French government can't find anyone willing to invest in keeping it open. It's arguable whether Taylor was exaggerating, but at the same time, I didn't see anything dindicating the union was willing to deal on productivity.
steve2470
(37,457 posts)Not exactly what you're looking for, but close perhaps. I don't speak French unfortunately. There's more French language links at the BBC article.
bullwinkle428
(20,629 posts)his problem was that he just pre-dated the tea-bagger movement by several years! Who knows what kind of traction (no pun intended) he would have gained if that movement was alive and active back then.
Rex
(65,616 posts)nt.
Yavin4
(35,445 posts)Sell your tires to your Indian and Chinese workers. I'm sure that they can buy your tires with their $1 per hour wages.
Bake
(21,977 posts)If our workers aren't good enough to make their sh*tty products, they shouldn't be allowed to sell the crap here. That would effectively close the biggest consumer market in the world. That MIGHT get the bastards' attention.
Bake