To reassure himself about the future of his factories in France, Carlos Tavares tours the Stellantis facilities. After Sochaux (Doubs), on October 3, the CEO of the car manufacturer traveled to Rennes, on Monday, November 18, for the pre-series launch of a new SUV that replaces the current C5 Aircross.
After assuring Italian parliamentarians that no closures or layoffs were planned on the Peninsula, Tavares was also clear about France: “Each site has a model to produce at least until 2028, and for most until 2030-2032. » There will therefore be no closures within three years, also in Poissy (Yvelines). But beyond that, there is no certainty: “In today’s Western automotive world there are no guarantees” the manager warns. It does not hide that the current occupancy rate of European factories is not satisfactory.
At the site of La Janais, south of Rennes, his comments did not alleviate concerns. The teams are preparing to switch production from the old version of the C5 Aircross to the new one, presented at the Paris Motor Show. Sales will begin in the second half of 2025. But what will happen to your factory after this model? “Due to lack of hiring, our gray hair factory becomes a gray hair factory, says Didier Picard, CFE-CGC delegate for the site. It is urgent to hire and renew generations to ensure the future of the site, beyond the replacement of the C5 Aircross”.
Frugal recipe
The CFDT, represented by Christine Virassamy, shares the same fear: the average age is 52 years and more than 800 workers out of 1,000 are 58 years old or older. They would have liked to hear Carlos Tavares announce the arrival of another model and, why not, new hires. “Everything is possible, but it is not planned”He limited himself to declaring during a press conference. The factory is currently scheduled to get rid of 200 temporary workers at the end of 2024, waiting to call them back in September 2025, for the launch of the new C5 Aircross.
To obtain this model, the Rennes factory had to demonstrate its competitiveness in terms of costs and quality. It was not won. “ If the team had not assumed the responsibility of transforming itself as it did, we would not be here today.” Carlos Tavares greeted. In 2015, the factory still occupied more than 220 hectares and employed 4,500 people, for only 68,000 cars produced. Nine years later, its surface area was reduced by half and, with 2,000 inhabitants, it produced 75,000 vehicles in 2023 (C5 Aircrosses and 5008) and could reach 100,000. “With our small volumes, we managed to occupy third place in terms of performance among all the group’s factories”notes Christine Virassamy.
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