Titan International Maurice Taylor, nicknamed "The Grizz" for his negotiating style, said French industry Minister left in a letter published by the media on Wednesday that he had no interest to save a plant set to close.
"The French workforce gets paid high wages but working only three hours. Get an hour for lunch and breaks, talking to three and I work for three, "Taylor wrote in his letter of February 8 in English for the Minister, Arnaud Montebourg.
"I said this to the French Union workers at their faces. They told me that it's so French! " Taylor added in the letter, which was published by the business newspaper Les Echos on its website and which confirmed the Ministry was genuine.
"Titan is going to buy a Chinese tire company or one Indian, pay less than one Euro per hour wages and ship all tires France needs," he said. "You can keep your workers '.
Socialist President Francois Hollande could take some comfort in the sight of Taylor of trade policies of his country: "the Government of the United States is not much better than the French," he said, referring to a dispute over Chinese exports.
Montebourg's Office said the letter was an authentic response to Paris consulting Titan as a possible buyer of Amiens North factory of US Goodyear group in Northern France.
The Minister refrained from immediate reply: "don't worry, there will be a response," Montebourg told reporters on Wednesday after meeting with Hollande. "It's better written. "
Union leaders have been less cautious. Official CGT Mickael Wamen, said Taylor belonged more in a Madhouse "than the boardroom of a multinational.
DERISION
Taylor's comments are the latest blow to the image of France after the verbal attacks last year of Montebourg businesses seeking to close ailing industrial sites prompted mockery.
Combined with concerned about plans for a 75 percent "millionaires tax", Montebourg's antics led the Mayor of London Boris Johnson to remark to an international business audience that seemed that France was running by left-wing revolutionaries.
Montebourg has also lashed out at cheap imports of manufactured goods from low-wage countries such as China and last year said the head of Indian steelmaker ArcelorMittal was unwelcome in a spat over a shuttered plant in France.
Despite having levels of productivity per head that rank among the best in Europe, economists blame France's rigid hiring and firing laws for a long industrial decline has dented exports. Many also blame the week of 35 hours of work in the country.
Amiens Nord plant Goodyear Tire Rubber Co. & employs 1,250 workers, who have been fighting the demands that more shifts or accept layoffs. The Government said in January that the impending closure front site.
Talks with Titan over a possible purchase of agricultural tyres section of the plant fell through last September after a failure to reach an agreement with the CGT Union voluntary redundancies.
Titan did not return calls on Monday night for comment, but the company's site says that Wall Street analysts have dubbed Taylor "The Grizz" for his tough negotiating style.
His letter to Montebourg accused the French Government of "doing nothing" in the face of Chinese competition.
"Lord, your letter states that want to Titan to start a discussion. How stupid do you think we are? "he wrote. "Titan is the one with the money and talent to produce tires. What is the Union doing crazy have? Is the French Government ".
(Additional reporting by Christian Plumb and Elizabeth Pineau; Written by Catherine Bremer; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)
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