French criticise 'ignorant' comments by US tyre boss

[steve2470]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21530619

A French minister has responded angrily to the boss of US tyremaker Titan who said he would have to be "stupid" to invest in the country.

Maurice Taylor made the claims in a letter to France's minister for industrial recovery, Arnaud Montebourg.

On Thursday, Mr Montebourg replied that Mr Taylor's "extreme" comments showed a "perfect ignorance of what our country is".

He added that 20,000 foreign firms are in France, employing 2 million people.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. Why is the tire factory shutdown and why won't an existing company pick it up?

[steve2470]

2. good questions nt

[sweetapogee]

3. I can think of 2 possible solutions

One solution and the best I feel is that the employees should buy the plant and run it. The second option would be for a French company like Michelin should buy it and run it. Then there is a combo solution, a 50% partial employee buyout coupled with a corporate buyout.

[badtoworse]

4. Would you pay for 8 hours of work and settle for only 3?

When Taylor claimed this was the case at the tire plant, the union people did not dispute it. They said it was "the French way".

Is anyone surprised the plant is closing?

[Nine]

5. Well, *Taylor* claims they didn't dispute it.

We don't know whether that's true or not. Look, if he doesn't want to invest in the plant, don't invest. I don't know much about French labor law, but a paid hour for lunch and breaks doesn't seem crazy. Americans used to work "9 to 5" with a paid lunch break and the country did just fine. Now there are plenty of American factories and businesses where employees work eight hours and get an unpaid lunch hour and those businesses are still not doing well.

[joeybee12]

6. Exactly...it's what Taylor says they said...

And Taylor is a POS

[badtoworse]

8. Has the union issued a statement?

Given the bad press they got, I would expect one, unless they're willing to let Taylor's statement stand.

[joeybee12]

10. You're really stretching it, aren't you?

Why would they get into a pissing match with this fool...the Ministry has responded...no need for anything else.

[badtoworse]

13. i don't think so

The fact is the plant is closing and apparently, the French government can't find anyone willing to invest in keeping it open. It's arguable whether Taylor was exaggerating, but at the same time, I didn't see anything dindicating the union was willing to deal on productivity.

[steve2470]

12. La lettre au vitriol de Titan à Montebourg

http://www.europe1.fr/Economie/La-lettre-au-vitriol-de-Titan-a-Montebourg-1421439/

Not exactly what you're looking for, but close perhaps. I don't speak French unfortunately. There's more French language links at the BBC article.

[bullwinkle428]

7. Taylor actually was a Repuke presidential candidate in the 1996 campaign -

his problem was that he just pre-dated the tea-bagger movement by several years! Who knows what kind of traction (no pun intended) he would have gained if that movement was alive and active back then.

[Rex]

9. France to tyre tyrant - hit the road Jack.

nt.

[Yavin4]

11. Hey France! Just Tell Mr. Taylor, You Don't Employ Us. You Don't Get To Sell To Us.

Sell your tires to your Indian and Chinese workers. I'm sure that they can buy your tires with their $1 per hour wages.

[Bake]

14. Exactly. That's what we should do here in the US.

If our workers aren't good enough to make their sh*tty products, they shouldn't be allowed to sell the crap here. That would effectively close the biggest consumer market in the world. That MIGHT get the bastards' attention.

Bake