Helicopters, blockade in French car parts factory standoff

PARIS (AP) - The maker of Peugeot and Citroen cars has resorted to using helicopters to retrieve car parts from a French factory blockaded by workers worried about their jobs.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire warned Thursday on BFM television that the government will take the "necessary measures" if workers don't lift the blockade, suggesting a possible police intervention.

Employees at the factory run by GM&S are seeking better conditions in a pending takeover of the struggling site. GM&S is a supplier for carmaker PSA Group, which has promised 40 million euros ($45 million) in contracts and investment to keep the plant afloat.

PSA spokesman Pierre-Olivier Salmon said the blockade could force the carmaker to reconsider its funding proposals and that two helicopters are retrieving equipment from the plant in the town of Sept-Fons until a solution is found.