At PSA, the crisis unit monitors the situation hour by hour. With its Chinese partner DFM, the French firm has nearly 2,000 employees in the Wuhan region, the epicenter of the epidemic. Among them, “fifteen expatriates of French origin have been located. With the families, we are 38 people, "points out Xavier Chéreau, the group's HR director who announced on Saturday his desire to repatriate them as quickly as possible in the name of the" principle of maximum precaution ".
Among these nationals, confined to their homes, there are minors. “A little less than a dozen, of all ages. The concern is always stronger for young children. But we are trying to provide protective measures to reassure parents while awaiting repatriation, ”he continues. To date, the system chosen consists of organizing a bus transfer from Wuhan to Changsha, located just over 300 km outside the area.
The repatriation will be "mid-week", assured the Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn in a point Sunday evening. And to specify that these nationals will be repatriated "by direct air to France", if they wish. Once back in France, French expatriates should be quarantined for a period of 14 days.
Just under 50 expatriates for Renault
For the time being, the French authorities are conducting an inventory of expatriates present in Wuhan and who would also like to be repatriated. The Quai d'Orsay refuses to give a figure for the moment. Because if the region hosts a hundred French companies - mainly linked to the automotive industry -, with the festivities of the Chinese New Year, many employees are on leave and the sites are closed.
This is the case at Renault, which has just under 50 expatriates in its factory on site. "It is closed, as are the offices until the end of next week due to the Chinese New Year," said a spokesperson. Many of our expatriates are on vacation elsewhere. There are only a few left. For these, we are in contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and we will follow the recommendations. "
Same story at Valéo, where the two factories and its research and development center are also stopped. "We mainly have local employees, expatriates who can be counted on the fingers of one hand," says one at the automotive supplier. If Seb is also well established in the region, it has no French in its workforce while Alstom "no longer has activity in the region", says its CEO, Henri Poupart Lafarge.
