Labour dispute forces Goodyear to shut French plant with 1,100 employees

PARIS (AFP) - Executives at a Goodyear tyre plant in Amiens, northern France, unveiled on Thursday a plan to close the site, which employs 1,173 workers.

"Closing the factory is the only option after five years of unsuccessful negotiations," said a French-language statement, which added that the plan had been presented to a works committee and would be the basis of talks with workers' representatives.

Mr Henry Dumortier, chairman of Goodyear's French unit, said: "We are fully aware of the impact of the announcement we are making today and the plan's heavy consequences for staff, their families and local communities."

He added: "We are deeply disappointed that five years of negotiations were not enough to reach a compromise with representatives of workers at Amiens Nord. Today's announcement was the only option left to us."