Atofina workers strike over Albemarle transfer terms

27 November 2003 17:09  [Source: ICIS news]

PARIS (CNI)--Atofina said Thursday it hoped to settle strikes soon at two sites in southern France where workers are demanding more benefits to transfer, along with the sale of the Port-de-Bouc bromide plant, to US flame retardant producer Albemarle.

Strikes stopped vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) production at the French chemicals firm's Fos site on 20 November when an unspecified number of workers came out in support of colleagues at nearby Port-de-Bouc. Workers there had began industrial action two days earlier and have halted bromide output from the 11 000 tonne/year plant. Capacity and output details of the affected VCM production were not disclosed.

'Supplies have been disrupted," said a spokeswoman for Atofina. No further information was disclosed. "We're hoping for a settlement soon," she added.

Atofina agreed in late October to sell the bromochemicals business to Albemarle. The spokeswoman said Atofina still hoped to complete the deal, the financial value of which remains undisclosed, in December. 

Along with the transfer of the bromide plant, Atofina said that 100 workers would become employees of Albemarle. Each worker was initially offered a compensation bonus of Euro2500 ($2980), and a series of guarantees were also made. However, they demanded improved salaries and an additional bonus.

The Atofina spokeswoman said negotiations between the management and employee representatives were hinging on an additional bonus of around Euro4000 - 20% less than the extra demanded by the workers.

Terms of the guarantees for workers transferring from Atofina to Albemarle are that:

• Early retirement rights of about 10 workers will be upheld;
• Employees who had worked at other Atofina sites would continue, while in Albemarle's employment, to enjoy the benefits of Atofina's policy on asbestos compensation;
• Workers retain the right, while working for Albemarle, to benefit from priority recruitment at other Atofina sites up to 2008 should the US firm reorganise or restructure its bromochemicals business;
• Relocation is available to any other Atofina site over the next 12 months.

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