Limited progress in Goodyear's Amiens negotiations

ERJ staff report (DS)

Amiens, France -- Progress on the negotiations between Goodyear and the unions representing 1400 workers at the Amiens North plant is slow. Unions representing 1300 workers at the former Dunlop plant at Amiens South have signed the agreement.

Currently, according to a Goodyear spokesman, two out of five unions at Amiens North have signed the agreement, but according to Goodyear, a recent vote among the workforce showed the workers wanted to accept Goodyear's offer by a majority of 70 to 30 percent - among those who voted.

The spokesman said, "The CGT has eight days to oppose, agree or abstain. If they abstain we can proceed with the 4 x 8 plan. If they object to the plan we will go ahead with the social plan which will mean 402 job losses from Amiens North, starting in September.

The spokesman added, "On Friday night the CGT union blocked the plant, effectively stopping production. Yesterday we got a court order requiring them to remove the blockade and allowing workers to return to work. This morning workers are starting to return."