French Goodyear workers whose factory will be closed or restructured protested outside of company offices in Paris. The 1,200 workers ended up clashing with police and burning tires as last minute negotiations to save their jobs continued. The negotiations came after the head of Titan International, a tire company, said he would not save the factory because the workers were lazy, overpaid and talkative. The remarks drew criticisms from both the workers and government, with officials saying that they would be investigating Titan. Goodyear announced in January that it would be cutting 39% of its workforce in France due to labor disputes and lower demand.
See "French workers accused of 'being lazy' by U.S. tycoon riot on streets as last ditch protest to save 1,200 jobs descends into violence", Steve Nolan, Daily Mail, March 6, 2013