Boss-Napping at Renault’s Fonderie de Bretagne Ends

A group of employees of the Fonderie de Bretagne who were holding seven members of the company at the Caudan site in western France that makes parts for several Renault vehicles ended early this morning after 12 hours. At issue was the future of the plant and roughly 350 jobs. A CGT union spokesperson said the managers still refused to talk or bargain in good faith.

AutoInformed first became aware of the union action late yesterday when Renault issued an unusual statement on its website: “Renault Group strongly condemns these actions and calls for the lifting of the blockade and an immediate return to calm. Renault Group recalls that the search for a buyer is currently underway in order to maintain the site’s activities and ensure the continuity of jobs. This process must continue with dialogue and calm.”

While not unheard of in France, once the home of an extremely strong Communist party, such actions have become rare as the party slowly slipped into oblivion. The potential Fonderie de Bretagne sale was proposed in  the spring of 2020 as part of a  badly needed restructuring plan by Renault.

AutoInformed on:

• Groupe Renault Posts Flat Results for Q1 2021
• Groupe Renault Posts 2020 Loss of -€8.5 Billion
• Alpine and Lotus to Study Joint Development of an Electric Sports Car as Groupe Renault Restructures
• Groupe Renault Changes Execs – outsider Luca de Meo as CEO, Clotilde Delbos Deputy CEO
• Ghosn Shakeout is Ongoing as Thierry Bolloré, CEO Renault SA, is Fired by the Board of Directors

The communist party’s last presidential candidate, Marie-George Buffet, received ~2% of the vote in 2007. The Voice of America reports that the Communist Party is fielding its first presidential candidate in years for the 2022 elections.”, … It’s one of Western Europe’s last relevant Communist parties, whose latest move paradoxically risks further fracturing an already weakened French left.”

“The French Communist Party’s presidential hopeful is Fabien Roussel, a former journalist with a reputation as a bon vivant and amateur fisherman, who has been at its helm since 2018. He got strong backing at a party meeting last weekend, although the movement’s base must still endorse his candidacy next month,” VOA said.