Posted on 02/21/2013 3:17:58 PM PST by 1rudeboy
PARIS (Reuters) - The CEO of a U.S. tire company has delivered a crushing summary of how some outsiders view France's work ethic in a letter saying he would have to be stupid to take over a factory whose staff only put in three hours work a day.
Titan International's Maurice "Morry" Taylor, who goes by "The Grizz" for his bear-like no-nonsense style, told France's left-wing industry minister in a letter published by Paris media that he had no interest in buying a doomed plant.
"The French workforce gets paid high wages but works only three hours. They get one hour for breaks and lunch, talk for three and work for three," Taylor wrote on February 8 in the letter in English addressed to the minister, Arnaud Montebourg.
"I told this to the French union workers to their faces. They told me that's the French way!" Taylor added in the letter, which was posted by business daily Les Echos on its website on Wednesday and which the ministry confirmed was genuine.
"How stupid do you think we are?" he asked at one point.
"Titan is going to buy a Chinese tire company or an Indian one, pay less than one Euro per hour wage and ship all the tires France needs," he said. "You can keep the so-called workers."
As the leaked letter drew outrage in France, Montebourg penned a scathing response, spelling out the reasons why France routinely ranks as a leading destination for companies to invest, beating China and India in mid-2012.
"Can I remind you that Titan, the business you run, is 20 times smaller than Michelin, the French (tire) technology leader with international influence, and 35 times less profitable," Montebourg wrote, in a two-page letter in French.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Before the hate I want everyone to know Michelin tires sold here are *made in U S A.*
Nice tires, I have a set. Expensive, though.
Michelins are good but they are real expensive. I would rather buy from India too, at least I am getting a good deal
“Michelins are good but they are real expensive. I would rather buy from India too, at least I am getting a good deal”
Get BF Goodrich. Same company. (Michelin)
Even better, I heard he told them in Midwestern Standard English.
Michelin manufactures worldwide, including in China. I would concede, however, that they do have several plants in France, mostly near their Clermont-Ferrand HQ.
Probably not a good historical antecedent for a French-American tire manufacturing pissing contest.
South Korean tire makers:
Kumho and Hanook
South Korean tire makers:
Kumho and Hankook
In the winter, I like many others, bow before the mighty Bridgestone Blizzak, king of snow and ice.
Another cultural conflict and misunderstanding. Americans live to work, Europeans work to live. Did I tell you about my co-workers who worked 70-80 hrs each week getting paid for 40, incompetent, or semi-competent, and who knows how many of those 60-70 hours they actually worked and contributed, that’s how much time they were present, and the idiot management appreciated and rewarded it.
Another cultural conflict and misunderstanding. Americans live to work, Europeans work to live. Did I tell you about my co-workers who worked 70-80 hrs each week getting paid for 40, incompetent, or semi-competent, and who knows how many of those 60-70 hours they actually worked and contributed, that’s how much time they were present, and the idiot management appreciated and rewarded it.
I could probably do more in 25 hours than they do in 70 if it’s not labor.
Where do I sign up?
“Did I tell you about my co-workers who worked 70-80 hrs each week getting paid for 40, incompetent, or semi-competent, and who knows how many of those 60-70 hours they actually worked and contributed, that’s how much time they were present, and the idiot management appreciated and rewarded it.”
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Interesting sentence, I wonder what it means.
Interesting graphic (?), I wonder what it means.
Uhh...One more time?
The only person getting a good deal would be the maker. Even if the tires cost dropped to $5, I can assure you that the price to the consumer wouldn't budge.
I am not buying any French garbage
The graphic has no actual meaning, it is merely my peculiar way of separating your words from mine. I am still trying to decipher that sentence though.
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