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ReprintsInvestigation opened into suicides at Renault
Automotive News
February 21, 2007 - 10:45 am ET
PARIS (Reuters) -- A French prosecutor has opened an inquiry into working conditions at a Renault SA technical design center after three workers committed suicide since last October. The latest incident involved a man who died at his home last week, leaving a letter blaming work difficulties for his death. In January, another worker drowned himself in a lake near the center. A third worker killed himself by jumping from the fifth floor of the main building of the center last October. "We have opened an inquiry into the working conditions of the people who committed suicide," said Michel Desplan, the public prosecutor in Versailles. The CFDT workers union said that workers had been under increasing pressure since the company introduced a restructuring plan last year and called for Renault management to urgently evaluate the situation. "Since 2006, with the Renault Contract 2009, we have seen a sharp increase in work, a race for deadlines and developing in an activity that is becoming more and more complex," the CFDT said in a statement. A Renault spokeswoman said the company "deeply regrets" the incidents and extends its respect to the families. She said the company was looking into how "these unfortunate suicides" could have been prevented. Renault profits dropped sharply in 2006 because of a dip in sales due to its ageing model lines and rising raw material costs. |
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