PARIS -(Dow Jones)- French industrial companies Alstom SA (ALO.FR) and Schneider Electric SA's (SU.FR) joint plan to take over Areva SA's (CEI.FR) power transmission and distribution business would have the biggest impact on jobs at the unit if the bid is successful, workers' representatives said Tuesday.
While all of the three offers submitted for T&D are likely to lead to layoffs, the Alstom-Schneider offer is the "worst of them all" for jobs, Bruno Blanchon told reporters at a press conference to present workers' concerns over the sale of the T&D unit.
In addition to Alstom-Schneider, U.S.-based General Electric Co. (GE) and partner CVC Capital Partners is currently in the race to buy T&D, which Areva is selling to raise funds for investment.
Japan's Toshiba Corp. (6502.TO) is the third bidder, say people familiar with the situation, including the workers' representatives.
If the Alstom-Schneider bid succeeds, workers' representatives plan to lobby the European Commission, the European Union's antitrust regulator, in the hope it will oppose the deal, said another worker representative, Mick Holmes.
Workers' representatives described the decision of the French state, which controls Areva, to sell T&D as "incomprehensible," and emphasized that GE and Toshiba are direct competitors.
The deadline for binding offers for T&D is widely understood to be Nov. 9, which workers' representatives confirmed Tuesday.
-By Adam Mitchell, Dow Jones Newswires, +33 1 40171756; adam.mitchell@dowjones.com