The planned merger of Euopean-based global cement giants Holcim and Lafarge into a $44-billion megafirm—the world's largest cement manufacturer—took a key step in smoothing antitrust concerns with the Feb. 1 sale of major global assets to Irish cement firm CRH plc for $7.3 billion.
But international worker unions are protesting the transaction, which is set to create a 136,000-employee giant, claiming it would cost thousands of jobs.