Employment. "Not the right answer": Industry Minister rejects the nationalization of ArcelorMittal
Marc Ferracci, Minister of Industry, considered that the nationalization of ArcelorMittal was "not the right answer" as the steel manufacturer announced the elimination of more than 600 jobs in Dunkirk and the North.
The nationalization of ArcelorMittal "is not the right answer," Industry Minister Marc Ferracci said on Thursday, as the steel giant recently announced more than 600 job cuts in France.
"Nationalization is not the right answer today. We nationalize when there is a strategic issue, but also when there is no industrial solution," the minister replied on BFM TV, responding to calls to this effect during the May Day parade.
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"The challenge today is to ensure that Arcelor invests in the Dunkirk site and other sites, particularly in decarbonization," he continued.
The steelmaker recently announced a cost-cutting plan to regain its competitiveness in Europe by transferring support activities to India, involving 1,400 jobs. In France, the plan does not only target support functions. It also affects production, with 636 job cuts planned, which have been denounced by unions .
A left-wing demonstration in DunkirkArcelor employees, joined by left-wing leaders, marched in Dunkirk on Thursday to denounce these cuts , particularly at the Dunkirk site, which is the hardest hit. The Socialist Party plans to submit a bill "in the coming days" to place the ArcelorMittal site in Dunkirk under state supervision.
"Nationalization is not on the agenda today," Marc Ferracci emphasized. "Everything must be done to preserve (the industry) on our soil (...) We are committed to this," he said. He called for protection at the European level for the steel sector, which is in great difficulty in the face of Chinese competition. "Today we have an extremely difficult situation in the steel sector that requires protection, support for investment, and more competitive energy costs." "We need to pull several levers. It's not simply a matter of saying that by nationalizing, we'll solve everything," he concluded.
L'Est Républicain
