Sincere or vulgar promises? Under pressure since the announcement of 636 job cuts in France at the end of April, ArcelorMittal renewed its Thursday, May 15, its ” intention “ Investing 1.2 billion euros in order to provide its Dunkirk (North) factory with an electric oven. But before confirming this project, suspended last November and benefiting from significant public funding, the steel company is waiting for the European steel protection measures provided by Brussels to enter into force.
“The sector has faced its worst crisis since 2009. Consequently, we made the decision a few months ago to shift our decarbonation projects in Europe”, recalls the multinational in a press release. Before developing: “However, with the European action plan for steel and metals announced in March 2025, ArcelorMittal is confident in the fact that the European Commission can set up effective commercial defense and carbon adjustment mechanisms. »»
Emmanuel Macron reassured
If the steel giant therefore does not take any formal investment at this stage, the executive welcomes a positive advance. “I want to reassure employees (…) The leaders will confirm the fact that they will decarbonize their sites in France ”even left the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, facing the regional press shortly before the official press release.
“The company has reiterated a major industrial commitment (…)a decisive milestone for French sites. It is the fruit of a constant dialogue that we led with ArcelorMittal, elected officials, communities and union organizations ”, abounds in a long message on X the Minister of Industry, Marc Ferracci, assuring that the government will continue “The fight to defend (THE) Jobs “ in question.
Are the first concerned, namely the employees, as confident as the government? Not quite. “” It is fomistics. There is no information, everything is conditional in this press release. They are looking to save time because our movement is gaining momentum ”, denounces Gaëtan Lecocq, CGT manager at ArcelorMittal Dunkirk.
“” No word on the job safeguard plan (PSE), no word on other threatened sites ”, continues the trade unionist, whose northern factory is concerned, by itself, by almost half of the perceptions of upcoming positions. In this tense social context, the union led by Sophie Binet continues to hammer her main claim: the nationalization of the French steel industry.
A “long -term” battle
On the side of leftist political leaders, the bell sound remains the same: the fight is just beginning. “Congratulations to the employees, their union, who, by their struggle, imposed this first step. But that it is far away, the end of the road ”, reacted François Ruffin. Like many of his NFP counterparts (Marine Tondelier, Olivier Faure, Aurélien Le Coq …), the deputy (ex-LFI) went to the city of Jean Bart during the demonstration of the 1st May to support the workers concerned.
“The state should not be satisfied with this timid announcement. More than ever, the pressure should be maintained ”, still claims the Picard parliamentarian, for whom the steel industry in France and, more broadly, the fight against relocations, are battles “Long -term”.
At the national rally, although we salute a first victory, confidence is no more bet. “You have to stay very careful. ArcelorMittal does not really commit for the moment. We have already known this kind of strategies and announcements of announcements in the past ”, Insists the Tangwall Campagin the Lepéniste deputy Frédéric Weber, a connoisseur of the file for having lived from the interior-as head of the CFDT-the closure of the Hauts-Fourneaux de la Multinational in Florange (Moselle), in 2012.
“At the time too, the head of state was reassuring, had multiplied the false promises … So we don’t want to be fooled again. Macron must not make us a Holland ”fears the elected Lorraine, noting that the “Only certainty” at this stage lies … in the “Social breakage” orchestrated by the steel giant.
A massive layoff plan which, moreover, could prove harmful to the company itself: according to an internal study carried out by an expertise firm and unveiled by France 3 this Friday, the strategy of relocations-especially towards India-from ArcelorMittal is not viable, in that it does not “Guarantees neither stability nor reliability and can result in hidden costs: quality, conformity, legal or geopolitical risks”.
