A plant in northeastern France producing tyres for agricultural machinery and another in the centre of the country supplying vehicles for civil construction will be closed for several weeks.
The French company said its factories producing tyres for passenger cars remained open despite the drop in demand, but was in talks with unions "in search of solutions".
The slowdown is linked to "the overall weakening of the global economy, especially in the automotive industry, where manufacturers' sales have fallen by 20-25%. Obviously, this is affecting us and we are forced to adapt," said CEO Florent Menego.
The company, which employs 132,300 people, has announced a series of voluntary job cuts through 2021.
It also closed a factory in western France and another in southern Germany in the past year. | BGNES
