European Awakening: Iran Bans Spark Continued Protests by Peugeot Workers in French

A large number of workers from the French auto group PSA Peugeot Citroen demonstrated again as they believe imposing sanctions against Iran has crippled the French company.

Organizers said hundreds of workers marched from the city’s central Saint Lazare railway station on Thursday, voicing their anger at Paris economic policies and loss of thousands of jobs.

Earlier, the French auto giant had announced plans to shed 8000 jobs across France by 2014 and close its Aulnay plant.

Speaking to FNA, a representative of the protesting workers blamed the sanctions against Iran for the company’s losses, and stated, “Sanctions against Iran have inflicted great loss on our company because Iran was our second major customer. Naturally, a large number of our workers have to lose their jobs when we lose a trade partner like Iran.”

PSA Peugeot Citroen stopped its trade with Iran on February 20 after the enforcement of US-led financial sanctions against Tehran over the issue of its nuclear energy program.

The tightening of sanctions against Iran prevented Peugeot from financing parts for its Iranian operation and the group had had to suspend this activity.

On April 5, the French auto-manufacturing group suspended operations at one of its factories in Northeastern France because of a halt to shipments of spare parts to Iran.

In July, the French auto group PSA Peugeot Citroen reported a 13 per cent fall in its 2012 first-half car sales.

PSA blamed the fall in sales on weak conditions on European markets and the halting of its activities in Iran.