US Tyre Giant Stepping on French Work Ethics

The USA appears again to be facing the wrath of the European Automotive industry. Already less than popular, after the closure of Ford’s Belgian production plant, comments from Maurice Taylor, CEO of the US tyre manufacturer Titan, seem to continue to ignite frustrations towards the US way of handling delicate situations.

Maurice Taylor | CEO Titan Tyres | CarLease UK Blog

Due to financial constraints and cutbacks, Ford had to undergo a closure of the production plant in Belgium, moving production elsewhere. Unhappy Belgian workers are continuing to challenge this decision, as production of the Mondeo, S-Max and Galaxy are moved elsewhere. Talks between the workers, unions, Government and Ford are still ongoing.

Amidst this, Maurice Taylor seems to have caused added frustrations with the French contingen of Titan’s tyre production. According to reports at the BBC, Mr Taylor was unhappy with the working style of the French, in particular Mr Taylor contended that the workers received a disproportionate level of remuneration in comparison to the hours worked. France currently adopts of a 35-hour working week, which critics, like Mr Taylor, believe if affecting the economic development of the country.

In response to this, both workers and unions have been very critical of Mr Taylor’s response and communication between the parties seems to be ongoing as a conclusion to this matter is reached.

It is no secret that the automotive market in Europe is not at its best. Citroen Peugeot recently announced huge losses and with the contraction of the German economy, pressure continues to build. At CarLease UK we do hope that an adequate resolution can be reached and that no drastic measures are taken, as investment needs to continue in Europe to avoid any further stifling. The success of the automotive industry in Europe is clearly intertwined with our car leasing offering, so the team at CarLease UK do hope these continuing problems are rectified.