An American tycoon has refused to rescue a doomed French tyre factory in frustration at the nation's 'stupid' labour laws.

U.S. tyre giant Titan International's boss Maurice Taylor branded French unions demands for the takeover as 'the dumbest thing in the world'.

And he said it was so difficult to do business in France, the nation may as well 'become communist'.

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American tycoon Maurice Taylor has refused to rescue doomed French Goodyear plant in Amiens out of frustration at the nation's 'stupid' labour laws

Mr Taylor, above, has twice tried to save the plant that US threatened with closure and the loss of 1.170 jobs; after visiting in February last year he wrote to France's then industry minister Arnaud Montebourg branding workers as 'lazy, overpaid and talking too much'

He told France Info radio today: 'You can't buy Goodyear. Under your laws, we have to take a minimum of 662 or 672 employees. You can't do that. The most you could take is 333. There's no business for that plant now.

'You guys have got to wake up over there and tell the unions, ''Hey if they're so smart, they should buy the factory''.

'It's stupid. It's the dumbest thing in the world. France should just become communist and then when it goes all bad like Russia did, then maybe you'd have a chance.'

It is Taylor's second failed attempt to buy the Goodyear plant in Amiens that is threatened with closure and the loss of 1,170 jobs.

He visited the factory in February last year, and later wrote to France's then industry minister Arnaud Montebourg branding workers as 'lazy, overpaid and talking too much'.

In the letter published in the Les Echoes financial newspaper, he wrote: 'I have visited the factory several times. The French workforce gets paid high wages but works only three hours.

Mr Taylor said, 'I have visited the factory several times. The French workforce gets paid high wages but works only three hours'; A A 2013 global study of working hours also revealed the French worked the fewest hours of any country in the world

'They get one hour for breaks and lunch, talk for three hours and work for three. I told the French union workers this to their faces. They told me that's the French way!

'Titan is the one with the money and the talent to produce tyres. What does the crazy union have? It has the French government.

'The French farmer wants cheap tires. He does not care if the tyres come from India or China and these governments are subsidising them. Your government doesn't care either.'

Mr Taylor's latest embarrassing assessment of French workers comes as France teeters on the brink of recession and unemployment has risen above three million - the highest level of joblessness in 15 years.

A 2013 global study of working hours also revealed the French worked the fewest hours of any country in the world.

The report by Swiss bank UBS found the French graft for just 1,480 hours a year, with 27 days annual holiday.