3 November, 2009
FACTBOX-Opel's sites and staff
Nov 3 (Reuters) - The board of General Motors [GM.UL] has
opted to keep Opel, undoing months of painstaking negotiations
to sell the European unit to a Russian-backed group led by
Canada's Magna. (MGa.TO) [ID:nN03518816]
Countries with Opel plants had fought to save jobs --
10,500 cuts were originally planned -- and avoid plant closures
amid promises of billions in state aid.
Below is a summary of the main GM factories in Europe:
* GERMANY: GM employs around 25,100 people in Germany
RUESSELSHEIM: 15,600 employees assembled 120,000 vehicles
last year at Opel's headquarters. The factory built the Vectra
and Signum models as well as the new Insignia. The site also
houses a technical centre that carries out research and
development for the GM group.
BOCHUM: 5,200 workers produced close to 200,000 Astra
compacts and Astra-based Zafira vans last year. Under the
original Magna plan, some 2,200 jobs were at risk, according to
politicians.
EISENACH: 1,800 workers assembled 157,000 three-door Corsa
subcompacts at the plant inaugurated in 1992 as a landmark
project to revive eastern Germany's industrial structure.
KAISERSLAUTERN: 3,500 employees manufacture four-cylinder
petrol and diesel engines and components. Close to 150,000
engines were built there last year.
* BRITAIN:
GM has 5,500 staff at Ellesmere Port and Luton. The Unite
trade union said on Oct. 13 it agreed a deal to secure the
future of the two plants, saving 600 jobs and securing a
promise that any redundancies would be voluntary.
ELLESMERE PORT: Ellesmere Port assembled 111,600 Astras and
Astravans in 2008 under the Vauxhall badge, the British version
of the Opel brand.
LUTON: Last year built more than 60,000 Vivaro delivery
vans, a larger sister to the Combo used for commercial
purposes. The site is also home to production of 27,000 Renault
Trafic vans.
* BELGIUM:
ANTWERP: 133,000 Astras were built last year in a plant
often said to be a leading candidate for closure. Belgian
regional premier Kris Peeters told European Competition
Commissioner Neelie Kroes last month that closing the site
could not be justified on economic grounds. On Oct. 15 unions
agreed to 20.2 million euros of cost savings at the plant after
Magna pledged to look into keeping the plant open.
* POLAND:
GLIWICE: 3,500 people built 170,000 vehicles last year,
mainly Zafiras as well as Astras, making it a rival to Bochum
for production volume.
* SPAIN:
ZARAGOZA: Built 423,000 vehicles in 2008, consisting of
Corsas, the Meriva minivan based on the Corsa architecture and
the Combo delivery van. On Oct. 26, Spain's Opel workers voted
to accept Magna's plans for the carmaker, after Magna had
agreed to keep the Figueruelas plant in northern Spain and to
reduce proposed job cuts. The plant employs 7,500 and Magna had
proposed cutting 1,300-1,650 jobs.
Sources: Reuters/
here
(Reporting by Christiaan Hetzner; Writing by David Cutler,
London Editorial Reference Unit; additional writing by Jijo
Jacob, editing by Matthew Lewis)
Source: http://www.reuters.com
FACTBOX-Opel's sites and staff Added: (03.11.2009)
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