Berlin: Canadian auto parts maker Magna will
cut more than 4,000 jobs in Germany when it takes over the
Opel business of struggling US auto giant General Motors, a
report said on Tuesday.
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), citing Magna's
strategic plan for GM's European operations, said nearly
11,000 jobs will be lost out of a total 45,730, affecting all
sites and including the politically sensitive closure of the
Antwerp plant in Belgium.
It said 4,116 jobs will be lost in Germany -- 3,300 on
the production line and 800 in administration -- out of a
total workforce there of 24,700.
Despite the job cuts, Magna will keep open all four
German Opel plants but the Bochum site will see nearly 2,200
jobs go as production is moved to Austria.
With the closure of the Antwerp plant, 2,517 workers will
lose their jobs, FAZ said, with 2,090 more to go in Spain,
1,373 in Britain at the Vauxhall brand and 437 in Poland, the
report said.
Earlier this month, GM announced the sale of a majority
stake in Opel to Magna and its partner, Russian state-owned
lender Sberbank.
Magna was the candidate favoured by German Chancellor
Angela Merkel, who faces national elections this weekend, on
the grounds it would limit job losses in Germany.
Belgium, Spain and Britain have all raised concerns that
the Opel sale to Magna would see them at a disadvantage
compared to Germany which has backed the deal with 4.5 billion
euros (USD 6.6 billion) in state aid.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 15:55