Lakshmi Mittal, French govt strike deal over disputed Florange unit

December 1, 2012

Mittal

Paris, December 1: Steel giant ArcelorMittal and the French government have reached an agreement on the persisting deadlock over the company's plans to shut down two furnaces in Florange and the government's nationalisation plan of the site.

French Prime Minister Bernard Ayrault announced on Friday night that the government had shelved its nationalisation plan. In return, ArcelorMittal chief Lakshmi Mittal has promised to invest 180 million euros at the Florange site over the next five years and agreed to retain the 629 workers.

"Since its installation, this government has worked without respite so that the industrial site in Florange continues to survive and develop and to make sure that the workers are protected. The government had three aims - no layoffs, significant investment in the site and the maintenance of the furnaces of Florange to prepare for a future industrial project, ULCOS," Mr Ayrault said in Paris.


"ArcelorMittal have accepted the stated conditions. Tonight I can announce there will be no layoffs at Florange. The Mittal group has committed to investing at least 180 million euros in Florange over the next five years," he said.

ArcelorMittal wanted to shut down two furnaces of the site that were not profitable, triggering a huge controversy in France. France's Industrial Recovery Minister Arnaud Montebourg had threatened to nationalise the site until a new buyer was found. He also accused Mr Mittal of lying, saying he does not respect France and should therefore leave the country.

Mr Mittal gave in to the pressure that was building up before the Friday night deadline for closure. The French government wanted to find a buyer for the Florange site but said ArcelorMittal would have to give up the entire site, including the profitable part and not just the two furnaces they wanted to shut down.

Finally, a compromise was reached between ArcelorMittal and the French governement. This will be seen as a political triumph for President Francois Hollande, who had promised to save the workers' jobs. This is perhaps not a big loss for Mr Mittal, given that two thirds of his European business is based in France. Much of it is also profitable due to its proximity to the German auto industry.

"In France people tend to believe that the point of view of the state has to prevail against private interest. We are in a country where we have a statist culture. The other problem is that Mr Mittal made a lot of promises when he bought Arcelor. One of them was that he would make European management in charge of European interests and he didn't stick to his promise," said French economist Elie Cohen.

The workers at Florange, however, are not celebrating. They say they do not trust Mr Mittal's plan and are disappointed that there will be no nationalisation of the site. This despite assurances from Mr Mittal that 180 million euros will be invested and no jobs will be lost.

The sites ArcelorMittal have shutdown in Belgium and France so far were part of the group's strategy to tackle losses from over-capacity and low demand in the European steel industry. However, ArcelorMittal are likely to see this as an investment to boost its image in France.



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News Network
April 14,2024

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New Delhi: A 24-year-old student from India was shot dead inside a car in Canada's South Vancouver, the local police have said. The Vancouver Police in a statement said Chirag Antil, 24, was found dead inside a vehicle in the area after neighbours reported hearing gunshots.

"Officers were called to East 55th Avenue and Main Street around 11 pm on April 12 after residents heard the sound of gunshots. Chirag Antil, 24, was found deceased inside a vehicle in the area. No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing," the police said.

Chirag Antil's brother Ronit told reporters that Chirag seemed happy when they spoke on the phone in morning. Chirag later took out his Audi to go somewhere. That was when he was shot dead.

The Congress students' wing National Students' Union of India chief Varun Choudhary in a post on X tagging the Ministry of External Affairs requested for assistance to the student's family.

"Urgent attention regarding the murder of Chirag Antil, an Indian student in Vancouver, Canada. We urge the Ministry of External Affairs to closely monitor the progress of the investigation and ensure that justice is swiftly served," Mr Choudhary said.

"Additionally, we request the ministry to extend all necessary support and assistance to the family of the deceased during this difficult time," he said.

Chirag Antil's family is raising money through the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe to repatriate his body to India, local media reported.

Haryana resident Romit Antil, the brother of Chirag Antil, told CityNews that he was a kind-hearted person.

"My brother and I had a great relationship. We used to talk every day, day and night. I spoke to him last before the accident happened. He was kind of happy, he never had any issues or fights with anyone, ever. He was an extremely polite person," Romit Antil told CityNews.

Chirag Antil came to Vancouver in September 2022. He just finished MBA at University Canada West, and recently got his work permit.

Here are 5 facts about Chirag Antil

1.    Chirag Antil was a resident of Sonipat, Haryana.
2.    He was the youngest son of Mahavir Antil, a retired employee of the Sugar Mill Department of the Haryana Government.
3.    Chirag moved to Vancouver in 2022 to pursue higher studies at the University Canada West (UCW), in British Columbia.
4.    After completing his MBA, he started working at a company in Canada after getting a work permit.
5.    Chirag's brother Ronit shared in an interview that his younger sibling was a "kind-hearted" person. "I spoke to him last before the accident happened," he said and added that Chirag sounded "happy".

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News Network
April 26,2024

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An Indian-origin woman studying at the prestigious Princeton University in the US is among two students arrested over pro-Palestine protests on the campus, reports student and alumni newspapers.

Tamil Nadu-born Achinthya Sivalingan and Hassan Sayed were arrested after the protesters set up tents for an encampment in a university courtyard early Thursday morning, according to the Princeton Alumni Weekly (PAW).

The two graduate students were arrested on charge of trespassing and have been "immediately barred from the campus", said Jennifer Morrill, a university spokesperson, adding that setting up tents on the campus violated university policy.

However, they have not been evicted and will be allowed into their housing, another varsity spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss confirmed to the Daily Princetonian.

Ms Sivalingam is a student of Masters in Public Affairs in International Development at Princeton while Mr Sayed is a PhD candidate there.

In a statement, Morill said the students were given "repeated warnings from the Department of Public Safety to cease the activity and leave the area" and they now face disciplinary action. After their arrest, the other protesters "voluntarily" packed away their camping gear, she added.

Hotchkiss said the university did not evict anyone on Thursday and that the university allows students barred from campus to stay in their university-owned housing.

The undergraduate students were warned against occupation and encampment exercises in an email Wednesday, according to the Daily Princetonian.

Princeton students, faculty and community members, and even outsiders were part of the demonstration, the PAW cited organizers of the protest as saying. Large, white tents were set up nearby for upcoming reunions and other events.

A student who chose to be identified only as Urvi termed the arrests as "violent", which included the students being zip-tied around their wrists. The university, however, contested this and said the officers did not use any force and the arrests were made without any resistance.

Pro-Palestine protests have rocked the top US universities as thousands of students have hit their campuses to demonstrate against the Gaza deaths due to Israel’s inhuman military operation. 

The protests, which began at Columbia University in New York, have to colleges across the country and saw hundreds of students confronting cops and raising pro-Palestine slogans. The protesters have been calling on their universities to divest from companies that profit from the Gaza war and advocate an immediate ceasefire.

Who is Achinthya Sivalingan?

1. Achinthya Sivalingan was born in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu and was raised in Columbus, Ohio.

2. She is pursuing a Master of Public Affairs (MPA) degree in International Development at Princeton University. Before that, Ms Sivalingan studied world politics and economics at Ohio State University and was also an Intern at Harvard Law School. 

3. Ms Sivalingan has significant experience in policy issues, having worked with civil society organisations, the legal system, politics, movement building, and private philanthropy. Her previous roles include supporting policy and advocacy work for climate adaptation, agricultural development, and nutrition portfolios at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

4. Ms Sivalingan has worked on a congressional campaign in Ohio's third district and also contributed to land rights and policy initiatives in India at the Centre for Policy Research. 

5. She has been banned from Princeton over pro-Palestine protests and is now facing disciplinary action. 

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