When the French tire maker Michelin closed its factories during the coronavirus pandemic, Florent Menegaux, the company’s chief executive, took stock of the closures’ impact on employees worldwide.
Thousands of workers in Asia, Europe and the United States at the lower end of the company’s pay scales could barely get by, an independent review showed.
“If workers are just in survival mode, it’s a big problem,” Mr. Menegaux said in an interview.
“When the wealth distribution in a company is too unequal, that’s a problem, too.”The announcement quickly ignited a debate in France over what exactly constitutes a decent wage and whether more French corporations should follow suit.
Unions warned that the Michelin pledge would still leave some workers struggling and that it did not come with a guarantee against future layoffs or site closures.
Persons:
Florent Menegaux, Mr, Menegaux, “
Organizations:
Michelin, Unions
Locations:
Asia, Europe, United States, France