A "silent walk" as a sign of mourning.
Nearly 1,400 people, employees of Bridgestone and their families, elected officials and inhabitants of Béthune (Pas-de-Calais), took part this Sunday morning in a march, in silence "to show the sadness of Béthune", according to the secretary of the Social and economic committee of the tire factory, Stéphane Lesix (CFDT).
The parade, without a union flag, which left around 10 a.m., must link the industrial site to the town hall.
Other people continued to pour in.
All hope that at the end of the five months of dialogue imposed by the government, the Japanese giant will reverse its decision to close the plant, which employs 863 people.
"It's difficult, morale is at its lowest"
“No to the closure of Bridgestone, solidarity with the employees!
“, Could we read on one of the banners at the head of the procession carried by children, the elected officials with tricolor scarf behind them, including the president of the Hauts-de-France region Xavier Bertrand (ex-LR).
“It's difficult, morale is at its lowest” at work, says Olivier, 28 years old in the factory.
Marie, 38, came with her children "out of solidarity", has "no illusions" about the fate of the site which has employed her husband for 12 years, but wants to "show that we are there, despite everything" .
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Bridgestone: in Béthune, "we all grew up with this factory"
The first negotiation meeting for the job protection plan (PSE), which is to last five months, will take place on Tuesday.
On September 20, the Minister for Industry, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, announced that the ministers, elected officials and the European management of the Japanese tire giant were to meet "in two to three weeks" in order to "review the different scenarios , which are alternative scenarios to a site closure ”.
If this agenda is maintained, the meeting should be held in the coming days.
In the Béthune-Bruay employment zone, which has around 100 municipalities and 280,000 inhabitants, the Bridgestone factory, inaugurated in 1961, is one of the largest employers, behind PSA and Roquette.
