Lorraine Connection Read Online Free

during an informal dinner with the chairman of the Lorraine region at his home, two years ago already. And now, he’s close to achieving his goal. He knows that after Daewoo’s takeover of Thomson Multimedia, the new company will be a global concern and there’ll be an influential role for him as human resources advisor. A glorious end to his career. Not to mention the financial rewards. So he follows Daewoo’s activities on a day-to-day basis, thanks to the contacts he’s developed at every level of the company.
    At around ten a.m. today, Maréchal had come to his office in Pondange and briefed him about the internal situation. Worrying. Another accident, serious. What’s worse is the sacking of a goodworker, a well-liked woman, another unnecessary provocation by that idiotic Head of HR. During their conversation a phone call from the factory had informed them that a strike had broken out on the shop floor. What did I tell you? Maréchal wasn’t too worried : it’s a spontaneous and localised movement, not one of them has any sense of organisation, you know what those layabouts are like. By tomorrow I’ll have everything back in hand, but frankly, we really could have avoided this. And Quignard was furious. He’s summoned the CEO to give him a piece of his mind. He’s late, which doesn’t help. Quignard is on his third pastis.
    Park, the Korean CEO, arrives, a smile on his smooth round face. His tortoiseshell glasses give him a permanent air of slight amazement. Quignard speeds things up and asks for the starter to be served at once – a selection of cured meats – accompanied by a good Burgundy. The minute they are alone, he attacks, tough, impatient.
    ‘A factory where there have been no incidents for two years, not a single hour’s strike, where the unions are kept out … How on earth did you manage to set the place on fire at the worst possible moment in terms of our affairs?’
    ‘On fire … I’d say that was a bit of an exaggeration.’ His voice is soft, cultured, his French impeccable, barely a hint of an accent. At the factory, he never speaks French, which he claims not to know, but English or Korean. ‘At present, two workshops have downed tools, less than twenty people.’ Out of the question to tell this loudmouth who despises me that an entire shift has just gone on strike, since he doesn’t appear to have heard. There’s plenty of time.
    ‘My contacts tell me that emotions are running very high in the factory. You have to admit that there have been a number of accidents, the rate of production is high and the pay isn’t good. As long as that only translates into absenteeism, there’s no problem . But in my young days, people used to say: one spark can set the plain on fire. So no sparks. You must keep your Head of HR in order.’
    ‘I understand.’
    The smile wiped off his face, a bitter crease at the corners of his mouth. That Head o f HR , a man he recommended to me himself The son of a local big shot. Important for integrating the business into the local fabric, he said. Totally useless.
    The waiter brings the next course – a copious stew – and a second bottle of Burgundy. Quignard continues, still on the attack.
    ‘Not the slightest ripple while the Thomson bid is pending.’
    ‘That’s a matter of a few days. We’ll hold out until then.’
    ‘No. Maybe just for a few hours until the government delivers its decision, and the main job will be done, granted, but we still have to see how the public will react and await the opinion of the Privatisation Commission. We need at least a good month of peace and quiet. It’s not asking for the moon.’
    ‘I can’t budge on pay. Our hands are tied by a major bank repayment due in one week’s time. I can only cover it through an advance on the delivery of our stocks, scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Finances are so tight that I haven’t even renewed the fire insurance policy which has expired.’
    ‘I know. You’re