In a letter addressed to French Industrial Renewal Minister, Maurice Taylor, CEO of US tyre-maker Titan writes that it would be stupid to buy any factory in France since workers don’t really work full time.
Maurice Taylor berated the French work ethic in response to a request for the US company to consider investing in a loss-making Goodyear plant in Amiens, northern France.
“I have visited that factory a couple of times. The French workforce gets paid high wages but only works three hours,” Taylor said in the letter, dated February 8 and obtained by French business daily Les Echos.
“They get one hour for breaks and lunch, talk for three and work for three. I told this to the French union workers to their faces. They told me that’s the French way!”
Read the full text of his letter in the below image. Click on the image to see the enlarged Letter.
Click on the above image to see the enlarged Letter.
Maurice Taylor’s incendiary remarks came as France’s economy is struggling in the face of increasing global competition, with leading companies announcing thousands of job cuts in recent months.
The country’s Socialist government has vowed to tackle France’s productivity gap—blamed by critics on high wages and reduced working hours—but is facing opposition from powerful labour unions.
Goodyear said last month it planned on closing the plant, which employs 1,173 workers, following five years of failed talks with unions.
Mr Taylor said Titan had a long history of buying and turning around troubled factories but in this instance was not in any way interested.
“Sir, your letter states that you want Titan to start a discussion. How stupid do you think we are? Titan is the one with the money and the talent to produce tyres. What does the crazy union have? It has the French government,” Mr Taylor wrote.
