News type
Date end
News memo
For jobs and a future at AREVA
NO
To the dismantling of AREVA by its shareholders
The European Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF) and the AREVA European Work’s Council (EWC) are calling on workers at all AREVA sites to stage a one-hour protest on 15th September 2009. A main rally to oppose the plan to sell AREVA Transmission & Distribution (T&D) will take place in Paris.
The EMF, EWC and all Areva’s trade unions reiterate that separating T&D from the AREVA group constitutes a serious error. The proposed sale will have major – even disastrous - social, industrial and economic consequences:
* Thousands of jobs will be threatened since downsizing and reorganisation will inevitably follow. Depending on the buyer, an overlapping of industrial and functional activities on European sites is likely to lead to further job losses.
* The rules of the European Competition Authorities concerning dominant positions on certain markets would render the sale of certain activities necessary, thus weakening the activities concerned and certainly leading to further job losses.
* Selling off T&D will not allow AREVA to meet funding requirements over the long term.
* Cutting its operating results with no guarantee of T&D’s development will severely curtail AREVA’s profitability.
* T&D’s presence in around 100 countries worldwide - 13 in Europe - contributes significantly to its international commercial success. In addition, this sale will deprive the group of an outstanding communications network.
* The Transmission and Distribution units are inseparable. Splitting T&D into two units – Transmission and Distribution – will eliminate the industrial and commercial complementarities crucial for the development of each.
In Europe today, employment is a major issue. Millions of workers have either lost their jobs or fear losing them. We cannot accept even one T&D job being added to those figures. Watertight guarantees have to be given. Consequently, the EMF, EWC and all Areva’s trade unions demand that the Supervisory Board re-examines its decision on the sale of this activity and listens to the workers whose expertise, motivation and hard work have made T&D and AREVA what they are today.
In order to be heard, the EMF and its affiliates with the support of the EWC are calling on all AREVA workers to join the:
RALLY at PLACE VAUBAN IN PARIS ON 15th SEPTEMBER at 2pm
led by Peter Scherrer, EMF General Secretary.
Simultaneously, walkouts, protests and communication initiatives will take place at all AREVA sites throughout Europe.
The EMF is the representative body defending the interests of workers in the European metal industry. The EMF has a mandate for the external representation and coordination of the metalworkers' unions and a mandate to engage in bargaining at European level.
_______
PRESS 31/2009
For further information please contact:
Peter Scherrer, EMF General Secretary
Isabelle Barthès, EMF Senior Policy Adviser, +32.2.2271012
Source Info
News Ref
PRESS 31/2009
News date