French steel workers occupy Arcelor Mittal plant - The Economic Times

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French steel workers occupy Arcelor Mittal plant - The Economic Times: "FLORANGE(FRANCE): Workers at an idled ArcelorMittal steel plant in northeast France occupied the site on Monday, seeking to put their plight on the political map ahead of a presidential election where industrial decline is a central theme.

Some 200 workers invaded management offices at the factory in Florange, in the Moselle region close to Belgium and Germany, after ArcelorMittal announced last week it was prolonging the temporary shutdown of its two blast furnaces.

Unions had announced at the weekend their intention to take action and workers found the offices empty. They say they will stay in the plant indefinitely.

The plant's two blast furnaces were shuttered in July and October 2011 in the face of weaker demand and workers fear that the longer they stay idled, the greater the chance the factory will be permanently closed. "

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