The inter-union of Bombardier Transport France, acquired by Alstom at the end of January, protested Monday against a new appeal by Alstom against the award to Bombardier of the contract for the supply of RER B trainsets, worrying about the sustainability of its Crespin site (North).
Read also: RER B: why Alstom withdraws the offer from Bombardier Transport
"
The inter-union Sud Industrie, CGT and CFDT of Bombardier Transport France, protests against these repeated procedures to contest an order won with loyalty
", write the unions in a press release, accusing their buyer of wanting to "
remove
them"
the bread of the mouth
”.
Bombardier Transport and the Spanish CAF were selected on January 13, faced with the more expensive offer from Alstom, to supply 146 RER trainsets for 2.56 billion euros, the delivery of the first trains to take place at the end of 2025.
But Alstom has multiplied its remedies, managing to delay the signing of the contract until its takeover of Bombardier Transport, effective since January 29.
Finally, on February 4, Alstom announced that it was withdrawing the offer from Bombardier Transport, which did not prevent RATP and SNCF from signing the contract awarding the supply of new trains to Bombardier Transport and CAF the next day.
“
Is Alstom trying to prevent our Crespin site from having its order book continue after 2025?
Ask the unions in their press release.
“
This order was blessed bread for us, with an order book until 2032,
” South delegate Karim Khatabi told AFP.
"
We get the impression that Alstom has taken the keys to the house and flouted all the rules for informing and consulting employees,
" he added, indicating that an extraordinary meeting of the Social and Economic Committee (CSE ) was to be held at the request of the trade unions on February 11.
According to the French group, “
the technical and financial conditions of the Bombardier-CAF consortium's offer do not correspond to market prices and do not allow this contract to be performed without significant risks for the financier, the operator, the travelers and for our company
”.
An argument which leaves the unions "
very perplexed since each call for tenders is the subject of a financial audit by the client
", they write.
At the end of January, Alstom became world number two in the rail construction sector by acquiring Bombardier Transport, the loss-making rail branch of the Canadian group.
Read also: RER B: "Alstom must perform the contract" of Bombardier-CAF, believes Valérie Pécresse
Located near Valenciennes, the Crespin site of Bombardier Transport is the largest railway plant in France.