PARIS (AP) – France’s Socialist government is vowing to maintain the train-making site of rail giant Alstom in the country despite the company’s decision to end production.
Finance minister Michel Sapin said Monday that the government will work with local officials, Alstom’s management and potential clients about ensuring the workload so that the railway production “will be able to be maintained” in the eastern French city of Belfort.
The government criticized the company’s “sudden” decision last week to end its production and denounced the lack of consultation.
The French state has a 20 percent stake in Alstom.
The closure of the plant would lead to 400 job cuts in Belfort and employees redeployed to other sites in the country.