As part of a shake-up of production for the next generation of the group's Astra model from 2010, General Motors is to axe 1,400 jobs at its factory in Antwerp, Belgium, GM Europe said on April 17.
The new generation of Astra models would be built at four European sites -- Bochum in Germany, Ellesmere Port in Britain, Trollhattan in Sweden and Gliwice in Poland. "It is not planned to continue production of GM Europe's compact class in Antwerp beyond 2010," the statement said. "There is no talk of closing the plant, but improvements are nevertheless necessary."
Management would negotiate with the workforce and employee representatives "about employment in the plant where lower production volumes will mean that 1,400 few employees are needed," the statement said. GM Europe currently employs 4,500 people at its site in Antwerp.
"We will make every effort to find a socially acceptable way of implementing the job cuts," GM Europe chief Carl-Peter Forster said.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007
