The management of the Smart automotive site in Hambach (Moselle) announced Friday the intention of Daimler to sell the factory. Mercedes-Benz model production was slated to begin in the fall.
“They sell the Smart site and therefore they are looking for a buyer. It is enormous. They are abandoning us, ”considers Jean-Luc Bielitz, representative of CGT on the Mosellan site, which employs between 1,400 and 1,500 employees.
"The company intends to start discussions on a sale of its French car factory in Hambach," said Daimler in a statement. In view of the difficult financial situation, the group states that it has "implemented numerous measures to improve its cost structure durably and become significantly more efficient".
End of production between 2022 and 2024
The Minister of Economy, Bruno Le Maire, called on Daimler "to keep all options open, including that of keeping the site". "I hope that the future of this modern and exemplary site which has made the choice of the ecological transition by notably producing electric vehicles is assured", he said, recalling that the factory "is a symbolic site of the industrial relationship Franco-German ”.
In March 2019, Daimler, owner of the Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands, announced the end of production of the small city car in France and its relocation to China from 2022. Instead, Mercedes (including an electric city car) were to be manufactured in Hambach from autumn 2020. To adapt the Moselle site to this production, Daimler had decided to invest 500 million euros. The works are still in progress. "Concretely, the Smart ends between 2022 and 2024 and we will not manufacture Mercedes on the Hambach site", called Smartville and historic cradle of the small car since 1998, judge Jean-Luc Bielitz.
"An industrialist must be respectful of his employees and his public partners"
"It was promising, everyone was happy to work at Mercedes, to have the Mercedes logo ... and everything stops," laments Denis Boos, CGT representative at Faurecia, plastics manufacturer. “All the employees took a blow on the head. "While the Grand Est Region and all of the Moselle public authorities have not ceased to support management in their investment choices, it is regrettable that this decision is taken without any concertation and discussion" , notably regretted the president of the region, Jean Rottner and the heads of public authorities in Moselle, in a joint press release.
They say they learned the news "through the press". "As of this afternoon, we are contacting the group's management to obtain more information and start the fight to save our jobs," they add. On Twitter, Jean Rottner speaks of an “incomprehensible announcement on form and content. An industrialist must be respectful of his employees and his public partners. I will be by the side of the East Moselle ”.
"We can make all the efforts we want, the group lets go after having made the most of the employees"
Employees approved in a consultative referendum in 2015 the "2020 Pact", which provided for the return to 39 hours of weekly work, paid 37, with a reinstatement of 35 hours in 2020. "All that we were promised, hiring, resumption of activity, sustainability of the site ... We can make all the efforts we want, the group lets go after having made the most of the employees, "reacts Jean-Luc Bielitz. “We fought like devils for five years, we made sacrifices to have projects, we had projects and now we are released! "Denounces Mario Mutzette, CFE-CGC delegate.
According to the unions, management spoke of a "potential buyer", without specifying which one. "In the current situation, no manufacturer needs a new factory," sighs Bertrand Cederiva, another CGT representative. The automotive sector is in crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic which has frozen vehicle sales. "If Daimler can't sell cars, who can?" "Wonders Denis Boos of the CGT.
“It pays me” newsletter
The newsletter that improves your purchasing powerI'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to allow you to receive our news and commercial offers. Find out more
The CFE-CGC delegate, Mario Mutzette, remains optimistic. “There are skills on site, brand new facilities. You become specialized in electrical, it is an asset. It would be a shame to miss it. An extraordinary social and economic committee (ESC) is scheduled for Wednesday.
