Spain's Opel workers accept Magna job cuts plan
AFP - Tuesday, October 27
The logo of the German car manufacturer Opel. Workers at the Opel auto plant in Spain voted Monday to accept a plan by Canadian auto parts maker Magna International that would see the loss of 900 jobs at the factory, unions said.
MADRID (AFP) - – Workers at the Opel auto plant in Spain voted Monday to accept a plan by Canadian auto parts maker Magna International that would see the loss of 900 jobs at the factory, unions said.
Members of the UGT and CCOO unions voted to approve the plan by a huge majority, and its leaders lifted a strike call.
Magna and unions at the Opel factory in Figueruelas, northern Spain, reached the preliminary deal on Thursday.
It envisages the loss of 900 of the more than 7,000 jobs at the factory, less than the 1,300 Magna had sought when the talks began last week and around half the number it had originally proposed.
Magna also undertook to maintain the bulk of the existing production at the plant, which produces the Corsa model. Unions had feared some of the production would be moved to Germany.
Struggling US giant General Motors last month announced the sale of a majority stake in its loss-making European arm Opel to Magna and its partner, Russian state-owned lender Sberbank.
Magna is reportedly planning to cut 10,500 Opel jobs across Europe.
The European Commission said earlier Monday it has given itself until November 27 to rule on whether the purchase poses competition concerns.
The commission has been concerned that 4.5 billion euros (6.7 billion dollars) in promised German aid was only available to Magna, which would violate EU competition regulations.
AFP - Tuesday, October 27
The logo of the German car manufacturer Opel. Workers at the Opel auto plant in Spain voted Monday to accept a plan by Canadian auto parts maker Magna International that would see the loss of 900 jobs at the factory, unions said.
MADRID (AFP) - – Workers at the Opel auto plant in Spain voted Monday to accept a plan by Canadian auto parts maker Magna International that would see the loss of 900 jobs at the factory, unions said.
Members of the UGT and CCOO unions voted to approve the plan by a huge majority, and its leaders lifted a strike call.
Magna and unions at the Opel factory in Figueruelas, northern Spain, reached the preliminary deal on Thursday.
It envisages the loss of 900 of the more than 7,000 jobs at the factory, less than the 1,300 Magna had sought when the talks began last week and around half the number it had originally proposed.
Magna also undertook to maintain the bulk of the existing production at the plant, which produces the Corsa model. Unions had feared some of the production would be moved to Germany.
Struggling US giant General Motors last month announced the sale of a majority stake in its loss-making European arm Opel to Magna and its partner, Russian state-owned lender Sberbank.
Magna is reportedly planning to cut 10,500 Opel jobs across Europe.
The European Commission said earlier Monday it has given itself until November 27 to rule on whether the purchase poses competition concerns.
The commission has been concerned that 4.5 billion euros (6.7 billion dollars) in promised German aid was only available to Magna, which would violate EU competition regulations.
