Heavy snowfall forces Carrefour union to postpone Feb. 8 walkout

PARIS (Reuters) - The main union at Carrefour , France's biggest private sector employer, said on Wednesday it was postponing to March 1 a walkout slated for Feb. 8 to protest job cuts at the retail giant, as heavy snowfall disrupted travel across France.

The Force Ouvriere union had planned to bus in large numbers of workers from across the country to rally at Carrefour's Massy headquarters near Paris but local authorities have restricted transport in some regions due to the snow, it said in a statement.

Under pressure to increase profits, Carrefour CEO Alexandre Bompard announced last month cost savings of 2 billion euros by 2020, including a voluntary redundancy plan for 2,400 employees at its French head office and plans to sell or close 273 underperforming Dia stores, which employ up to 2,100 people.

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire reiterated on Wednesday that the government would keep a close eye on the staff cut plans at Carrefour. He told lawmakers at parliament that Bompard was due to meet Labour Minister Muriel Penicaud by the end of this week.

(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Leigh Thomas)

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