2023-05-10 19:04:59
This is the subject that risks spoiling the atmosphere a little at the Élysée, where a long sequence of communication is organized around the reconquest of industrial sovereignty. The 336 employees of the two sites of the equipment manufacturer Valdunes, based in Leffrinckoucke and Trith-Saint-Léger (North) have been on strike since their sole shareholder, the Chinese MA Steel, announced on May 5 at a general meeting , that he was stopping putting money into the business.
Emmanuel Macron must also go to Dunkirk on May 12, a few kilometers from the Leffrinckoucke factory, to announce the establishment of a battery factory. He should be questioned by the employees of Valdunes, who wonder what will become of them.
The government is looking for a buyer
In the meantime, their union representatives must be received at Bercy on Thursday May 11. The Minister Delegate for Industry, Roland Lescure, has already met management on Wednesday May 10. “The very short-term priority is to ensure the continuity of activity in the weeks and months to come so that we take the time to find a solid buyer”he explained on BFMTV.
Valdunes is the last manufacturer in France to build wheels and axles for trains. In other words, it is a strategic undertaking. In Trith-Saint-Léger, near Valenciennes, the factory occupies the former Usinor buildings, quite a symbol in the North. For the past week, many elected officials, from all political sides, have come to lend their support. All ask about the same question: what will be the use of the green industry bill if we are not able to maintain industrial activity in the railway sector?
A loss-making company despite a growing market
The company has experienced many difficulties in recent years, despite the growth of the rail market. The Chinese steel giant was chosen in 2014 by the Valenciennes commercial court to take over the activities of Valdunes, which belonged to the German GHH and was then in receivership.
Since then, the situation has hardly improved, even if MA Steel, taken over in 2020 by another Chinese, Baowu, claims to have since injected 150 million euros into the company, to which are added 30 million euros of lines of credit to buy the metal that comes from China.
“MA Steel used us”
The fault, according to the unions, to an aging and insufficiently used industrial tool. “We produce an average of 20,000 wheels per year, whereas we would need to produce between 50 and 60,000 to be profitable”, says Philippe Lihouck, the CGT delegate. Since its takeover in 2014, the company has lost on average between 12 and 20 million euros per year for a turnover of between 80 and 100 million euros.
“MA Steel used us to acquire know-how and technologies, to certify its production at very high speed and to open up the European market”denounces a representative of the CFE-CGC.
Loss of SNCF orders
The unions also point to the role of SNCF, which was the company’s main customer until 2015 and has since gradually reduced its orders. It had even achieved its speed records with axles produced in Trith-Saint-Léger. “But since 2019, she no longer buys anything from us, preferring to buy cheaper supplies in Italy and Spain”assures the representative of the CGT.
Valdunes would have approximately three months of metal stocks to fulfill its orders, which should enable it to hold out until the end of July.
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