The head of US tyre manufacturer Titan International told the French government Wednesday that his firm will not take over a loss-making Goodyear factory because the unions there are “crazy” and its employees “only work three hours a day”.

“How stupid do you think we are?” Titan Chief Executive Maurice Taylor asked French Minister for Industrial Renewal Arnaud Montebourg in a letter published by French business daily Les Echos [in French and English].

“I have visited that factory a couple of times. The French workforce gets paid high wages but only works for three hours.

“They get one hour for breaks and lunch, they talk for three and they work for three. I told this to the French union workers to their faces. They told me that’s the French way!”

"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."

Dear Mr. Montebourg:

I have just returned to the United States from Australia where I have been for the
past few weeks on business; therefore, my apologies for not answering your letter
dated 31 January 2013.

I appreciate your thinking that your Ministry is protecting industrial activities and
jobs in France. I and Titan have a 40-year history of buying closed factories and
companies, losing millions of dollars and turning them around to create a good
business, paying good wages. Goodyear tried for over four years to save part of
the Amiens jobs that are some of the highest paid, but the French unions and
French government did nothing but talk.

I have visited that factory a couple of times. 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. I told this to the French union workers to their faces.
They told me that's the French way!

You are a politician so you don't want to rock the boat. The Chinese are shipping
tires into France- really all over Europe - and yet you do nothing. The Chinese
government subsidizes all the tire companies. In five years, Michelin won't be able
to produce tires in France. France will lose its industrial business because its
government is more government.

Sir, your letter states that you want Titan to start a discussion. How stupid do you
think we are? Titan is the one with the money and the talent to produce tires. What
does the crazy union have? It has the French government. The French farmer
wants cheap tires. He does not care rt the tires are from China or India and these
governments are subsidizing them. Your government doesn't care either: "We're
French!"

The U.S. government is not much better than the French. Titan had to pay millions
to Washington lawyers to sue the Chinese tire companies because of their
subsidizing. Titan won. The government collects the duties. We don't get the
duties, the government does.

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. You can keep the socalled
workers. Titan has no interest in the Amien North factory.

Best regards,
Maurice M. Taylor, Jr.
Chairman and CEO