France: Areva strikers issued with summonses

80 of the 89 workers at the Montrouge site have been on strike since January 10th over plans to close the factory down. Workers have also occupied and blockaded the buildings in protest. There has been no explanation of why the 31 employees targetted were chosen.

Management has claimed that by preventing the operation of the site workers are not only restricting others' right to work but placing the public at risk because the components produced are esential for the maintenance of high tension electrical cables. The have called for the "expulsion of the strikers...if necessary by police using force."

Workers had already dismissed a 10000 euro redundancy payment as an insult and the CGT union has denounced bosses for making insulting offers, trying to paint strikers as delinquants and for using the courts to try to weaken the strike and divide the workers.

One of the strikers described management as "autistic" saying that he was striking, for the first time in 40 years at the plant, because "you simply cannot treat people like that".