Mittal can’t be trusted, says French minister

After French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on Friday announced a deal  which would keep ArcelorMittal's steel plants in France from being nationalised – denounced by trade unions – the country's ecology minister Delphine Batho today expressed doubts whether Lakshmi Mittal, the Indian-born tycoon who took over Arcelor in 2006, would keep his end of the bargain.

"There has been an agreement but there is no confidence," Batho told the iTele network, referring to ArcelorMittal's blast furnaces at the Florange plant. "Mittal has never kept his promises in the past."

She added, "We are absolutely mobilised and the arm-wrestling with Mittal will continue to ensure that the pledges are respected."

Unions echoed her fears."The government's decision has created a lot of disappointment and left a bitter taste," said Jean-Claude Mailly, secretary general of Force Ouvriere, one of France's top three unions.

Mailly said he was "very sceptical" about Mittal's promises. "He had (earlier) promised €320 million for Florange but we never saw the cash," he said.

"We have the feeling we have once again been betrayed," said Edouard Martin, a spokesman for the CFDT union at the Florange plant. "We don't trust Mittal at all."