Peugeot to cut 5,000 jobs in France

A union official says PSA Peugeot Citroen is planning to cut 5,000 jobs in its home country — France. That would be more layoffs than it had previously spoken of.

Jean-Pierre Mercier, union representative at Peugeot’s factory in the Paris suburb of Seine-Saint Denis said they have been told 1,900 French manufacturing jobs would go and just over 3,100 in area like sales, information technology and research and development.

“The group’s international development can’t be carried out by cutting our jobs here given that we’re the ones who created PSA’s wealth,” Mercier said on the sidelines of a works council meeting.

Hundreds of protesters demonstrated outside the meeting, which took place at Peugeot’s Paris headquarters near the Arc de Triomphe.

Peugeot declined to comment on the cuts. Previously the carmaker, has said that no full-time workers in France would be fired.

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