Political reactions are pouring in following the future closure of a Walloon site of AGC: "Unacceptable| / Charleroi and its region

The AGC Automotive Belgium site in Fleurus will close by 2023. This is the intention that the company communicated this Wednesday to its board of directors. The plant currently employs 187 workers: 145 labourers and 42 employees. A collective dismissal is planned. Political reactions were not long in coming.

Malik Hadrich

09-02-22, 18:56

Last update:
09-02-22, 19:34

Source:
with Belga

The Walloon Minister-President, Elio Di Rupo (PS), the Minister of the Economy, Willy Borsus (MR) and the Minister of Employment, Christie Morreale (PS), will make contact with the unions and the management of AGC. They want to meet them without delay to take stock of the planned future closure of the Fleurus industrial site.

“We deeply regret this decision. This is a blow for the workers of AGC and for employment in Wallonia,” deplore the Walloon ministers in a press release. “We will do everything possible to support our workers, whose know-how is recognized and to preserve their jobs”.

Opposition

In the ranks of the opposition in the Walloon Parliament, the centre démocratique Humaniste (cdH) has already called for an emergency meeting of the committee on the Economy, starting this Friday afternoon.

“Since the Renault procedure has to be initiated, it is necessary to examine all the measures to be implemented for the workers and avoid the loss of the 187 jobs,” group leader François Desquesnes and deputy Julien Matagne insisted.

The Belgian Labour Party (PTB) has gone even further. “The multinational must take its responsibilities to protect jobs and develop the tool. Otherwise, the Walloon government must threaten her with a public portage without compensation,” said the head of the carolo group, Germain Mugemangango.

A public port means a takeover of Fleurus infrastructure by the Walloon authority via its economic tools such as the Société Régionale d’Investissement de Wallonie (SRIW) or the Société wallonne de gestion et participations (Sogepa).

At the federal level

At the federal level, the Minister of Employment, Pierre-Yves Dermagne (PS), assured that he would do “everything in (his) power to have the assurance of compliance with the Renault law and the negotiation of a serious social plan”.

From Charleroi, the Secretary of State for Recovery and Strategic Investments, Thomas Dermine (PS), also did not fail to comment on the news: “All my support to AGC workers in Fleurus. Your know-how is a pride for our Region and we will be at your side to mobilize and bounce back collectively”.

Carolo outrage

Fleurus being a city close to the largest Walloon metropolis, several elected Carolos have also come forward. Starting with the president of the Socialist Party and mayor of Charleroi, Paul Magnette: “I am dismayed to learn of AGC’s intention to close Fleurus at the end of 2023. 187 workers are affected. A group that distributes dividends to its shareholders… Unacceptable…”

The same bell rang with the deputy for the Walloon Region (RW) and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FW-B), Maxime Hardy (PS): “It is unacceptable that the group increases the dividends distributed to shareholders and organizes the closure of the Fleurus site. I will be calling on the Walloon government shortly about the support measures it intends to implement. There is a consensus to support a global relocation of our economy. Let’s support our workers, our tools and our Walloon know-how”.

According to the US media outlet, Newswire, AGC’s net profit for the 2021 financial year increased by 279 percent. A decrease is nevertheless planned for 2022.

Find, here, all the news from Charleroi and its region.

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