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Ford Blanquefort
Main severance
€190k average / employee
Health cover
Statutory portability
Status
Signed
Positions affected
850 jobs (total site closure) — 400-500 reclassed + 300-400 pre-retirees + a few dozen transferred to GFT (Ford-Magna joint venture)
Context
Why the plan was launched and who is affected
Plan type
Site closure
Sites affected
Ford Aquitaine Industries (FAI) Blanquefort site (Gironde) — automatic gearboxes — definitive closure 2019
Rationale & context
Definitive closure in 2019 of the historical Ford Aquitaine Industries (FAI) site at Blanquefort, near Bordeaux. Automatic gearbox production — Ford ceases this activity in Europe. 850 direct jobs eliminated. PSE rejected first time in January 2019 by Aquitaine Direccte, which demanded resources proportional to Ford's financial strength. A revised version is validated in March 2019, with an AVERAGE INDEMNITY OF €190,000 PER EMPLOYEE — equivalent to 2 to 3 years of salary. This is the highest per-employee benchmark documented in the OpenRecourse corpus. Breakdown: ~400-500 with active reclassement (often in Bordeaux area or via transfer to GFT, the neighbouring plant co-owned by Ford and Canadian Magna) + ~300-400 eligible for pre-retirement (site average age: 51 years). Politically sensitive case: Punch Powerglide takeover promise cancelled in 2018, strong union mobilization (CGT), local elected officials' interventions. Demonstrates the effectiveness of administrative pressure (Direccte) on multinationals to obtain exceptional financial conditions.
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Severance
What employees received — legal base, supra-legal, caps
Legal / collective indemnity
This is the minimum guaranteed by your sector's collective agreement. Paid to every affected employee on top of the statutory legal indemnity.
Metallurgy collective indemnity
Underlying formula · 1/4 month per year up to 7 years, then 1/3 month beyond (slightly improved vs. legal minimum which caps at 10 years).
Supra-legal top-up
The amount negotiated by unions ON TOP OF the legal and collective minimum. Often the largest part of the package.
**Average indemnity €190,000 per employee** — equivalent to 2 to 3 years of salary. PSE rejected once (Jan 2019) then validated in revised version (March 2019). Highest per-employee benchmark in the OpenRecourse corpus.
Floor
Minimum amount guaranteed to every employee, regardless of seniority or salary.
Individual variability not specified — €190,000 average confirmed
Notice period
Period between the dismissal notification and the actual departure. The employee remains paid during this time, whether they work or not.
Not specified in the PSE.
Collective minimum · Metallurgy agreement (IDCC 3248) — Managers: 3 months. Non-managers: 1 to 2 months by classification and seniority.
Example — rough estimate
For a non-manager employee with 5 years of seniority and €3,500 gross/month:
| Collective severance | (1.25 months × €3,500) | €4,375 |
| Supra-legal severance | — | Not publicly disclosed |
Very rough illustrative estimate. Your actual amount depends on your exact reference salary (max of 1/12 of last 12 months or 1/3 of last 3 months, bonuses included — art. R1234-4 French Labour Code), your precise status (manager/non-manager/ETAM), your hire date and your individual situation. For a personalized calculation of the legal indemnity, use the official French Ministry of Labour simulator.
Support
Outplacement, training, retraining aid and mobility
Device type
The scheme to help you find a new job: reclassement leave, CSP, or another mechanism.
Ford reclassement antenna + reclassement leave
Duration
How many months the support will last after your departure.
Cumulative 2 to 3 years of compensation depending on profile
Specific conditions
PSE-specific conditions regarding reclassement.
Possible transfers to neighbouring GFT plant (Ford-Magna joint venture) for a few dozen employees
Vulnerable employees (disabled, single parent, etc.)
Measures for employees with disabilities, illness, or personal difficulties.
~300-400 employees eligible for pre-retirement (site average age: 51 years) — favorable scheme for seniors
Notes & sources
Additional information and references
Notes
Closure of historical Ford Blanquefort site (Gironde) — 850 jobs eliminated.
- PSE rejected first time in January 2019 by Direccte, then validated in March 2019 (revised version).
- Average indemnity of €190,000 per employee — equivalent to 2 to 3 years of compensation.
- Highest per-employee benchmark in the OpenRecourse corpus (all years combined).
- 400-500 employees with reclassement support.
- 300-400 employees eligible for early retirement (site average age: 51 years).
- A few dozen transferred to the neighbouring GFT plant (Ford-Magna joint venture).
- Context: Ford closes its European gearbox activity.
- Politically sensitive case — broken promise of industrial takeover by Punch Powerglide (cancelled in 2018).
Selection
How departures are decided — criteria and voluntary scheme
No one has documented this point for this plan yet. If you've been through it or have the document, your help will make this file useful to the next person.
📄 Europe 1 — Plan social Ford Blanquefort validé par Direccte (mars 2019) · View source →