Saint-Gobain's ceramics division, Saint-Gobain Ceramiques Avancees Desmarquest (SGCAD), is to close two factories and cut 174 jobs in France, according to labour union sources, who said the plan will be presented officially to the company's works council tomorrow.
The production sites at Montrueil and Courtney, which manufacture glass-cutting blades, are to close entirely, while a further two factories at Evreux and Moissey-Cramayal will be merged into one.
The plans triggered strikes today in three of the four factories affected by the plans, and there have been protests at SGCAD's headquarters outside Paris.