Relief for the 330 employees of the Ascometal factory in Fos-sur-mer (Bouches-du-Rhône): the takeover offer from the Italian Marcegaglia, which plans to keep all of the site’s employees, has been validated Friday May 31 by the Strasbourg court, while the future of the other sites will be studied by the court at the end of June.
“The sale plan was decided in favor of the offer presented by Marcegaglia”communicated the registry of the commercial chamber to Agence France-Presse (AFP). “Employees are now relieved (…)it’s a real industrial project that is in place”reacted to AFP Ugur Yagiz, CFE-CGC central union delegate, evoking “joy, happiness and relief, appeasement” employees of the Fos factory, with Marcegaglia planning to maintain their jobs.
As soon as the decision was known, the union representatives present in Strasbourg called the site’s employees to announce it to them. “We are going to share the keys with [Marcegaglia] For (…) have the most sustainable future possible”, enthused Mr. Yagiz. François Barges, CGT delegate, hopes that this project will happen “in the long term and it will be a good thing for the employees” And ” for the future “ from the Fos site.
Three legal adjustments in ten years
Put up for sale by Swiss Steel, the steel group of 1,200 employees Ascometal was placed in receivership in March, for the third time in ten years. Marcegaglia has “the firm intention of investing 800 million euros over several years to transform the factory” from Fos, “ideally located”a source close to the Italian group told AFP.
“Even in the steel industry, having such an investment in France, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen it”, commented Ugur Yagiz. Partial takeover offers had concerned all of the group’s five sites, in a piecemeal manner. Thus, in addition to Marcegaglia, the British investment fund Greybull, the French Europlasma and the Indian Hind Rectifiers had positioned themselves for the takeover of the site.
Ascometal also has three machining and finishing sites, in Custines (Meurthe-et-Moselle), Saint-Etienne (in the Marais district) and Leffrinckoucke (North). A research center for special steels (Creas), with twenty-five jobs, is also located in Hagondange (Moselle). For these sites, the commercial chamber referred to a new hearing set for June 28. Takeover offers must be submitted no later than June 12. “Let’s hope the future will be as bright for them”wished Mr. Barges.
Among the potential buyers, the offer from Acciaierie Venete, Italian steel leader, concerned the three sites of Hagondange, Le Marais-Saint-Etienne and Custines (“Marcus”), which work together on special steels small diameters intended for the automotive industry, as well as on Creas.
Concern rose on Saturday for these sites with some 700 employees when the Italian group announced that “the conditions provided for in its offer were not satisfied”. Venete is asking the current shareholder to finance the asbestos removal and dust removal of the Hagondange site, estimated at 11 million euros by the unions.
“Relieved”
Hagondange employees have been blocking the factory since Monday and must decide on Friday on the follow-up to the movement, Venete having extended its takeover offer on Thursday until the hearing at the end of June.
“We are quite relieved that Venete has agreed to extend its offer”there “best”, reacted Alain Hilbold, central CFDT delegate. According to him, Europlasma has also submitted a letter of intent for Hagondange (434 employees), Custines and Marais (104 employees on the two sites) as well as for Leffrinckoucke (170).
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“Maintaining supply” from Venete is “excellent news”, reacted Thursday evening in a press release the elected representatives of the community of communes of Hagondange, ready to provide 15 million euros in capital to support the Italian language offer.
In two letters addressed to the executive, elected officials and CGT had demanded that the State provide “capital participation” to ensure this load and avoid “the liquidation of this steel flagship”.
“We will put all our strength into battle (…) and will assist in any way possible with the offers that will be on the table”assured Thursday the Minister of Industry, Roland Lescure, who will meet representatives of the Ascometal unions on Friday in Bercy.