Another painful ordeal for the employees of the Bosch factory located in Onet-le-château, in the suburbs of Rodez (Aveyron). The project for the industrialization of fuel cells intended for the hydrogen engines of the refrigerated containers that equip the semi-trailers is suspended sine die. The decision was announced by Bosch management on Wednesday June 21 in Stuttgart, at the group’s headquarters in Germany, during a meeting organized at the request of three trade unions (CGT, CFE-CGC and SUD) of the Ruthenian site and in the presence of Heiko Carrie, President of Bosch France and Benelux.
This diversification project (called Fresh2) of the plant’s activity, which until then was entirely devoted to the manufacture of automotive parts (injectors, nozzles, spark plugs) for diesel engines, was to concern 130 employees in 2025 then 230 by 2028.
It was at least one of the parts of the transition agreement signed on December 9, 2021 with the four representative trade union organizations of Bosch France (CFE-CGC, CFDT, SUD and CGT). At that date, in a context marked by the decline in sales of diesel vehicles, the group endorsed a social plan to cut 750 jobs to retain only 513. At the same time, to turn the page on diesel and keep busy and productive some of the employees still working at Bosch-Rodez, the group had chosen to reinternalize the production of torsion bars and small automotive components that were outsourced by external suppliers. The group had also worked to find a new track: the hydrogen market.
“This is bad news”
But, the German equipment manufacturer has decided otherwise. “The group is facing a lack of visibility: the hydrogen market in mobility is falling behind. This results in insufficient and lower than expected production volumes and an unprofitable economic equation.”, justifies a spokeswoman for Bosch France. “The group, which has decided to suspend the project probably for several years, remains convinced that the market needs this innovative solution even if it is not the right time”tries to reassure management, recalling that 11.5 million euros have been injected into the project in 2021 and 2022 out of the 35 million euros planned.
The company certifies that it wants to keep its commitments notified under the transition agreement: “until 2028, employment is guaranteed“, promises the group that seeks “to identify an alternative solution by the end of the year” to replace the failed project.
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