Published

Ford Belgium Factory Remains Idled by Labor Strife

Ford Motor Co. reached an agreement earlier this month with the unions at its assembly plant in Genk, Belgium.
#workforcedevelopment #labor

Share

Ford Motor Co. reached an agreement earlier this month with the unions at its assembly plant in Genk, Belgium.

But the settlement didn't end a three-month shutdown at the facility, as the company had hoped, because strikes at four nearby supplier factories have halted the flow of parts.

Ford's 4,300 workers in Genk walked out in October to protest the company's plan to shutter the facility in 2014. Supplier employees are angry because they also will lose their jobs then.

Assembly workers returned in exchange for higher pay. Ford is still negotiating with its unions about plant-closing terms.

The factory builds the Mondeo family car and Galaxy and S-Max large MPVs. Demand for those models has been weak because of the European auto market downturn.

RELATED CONTENT

  • Plastics: The Tortoise and the Hare

    Plastic may not be in the news as much as some automotive materials these days, but its gram-by-gram assimilation could accelerate dramatically.

  • Jeeps Modified for Moab

    On Easter morning in Moab, Utah, when the population of that exceedingly-hard-to-get-to town in one of the most beautiful settings on Earth has more than doubled, some people won’t be hunting for Easter eggs, but will be trying to get a good look at one of the vehicles six that Jeep has prepared for real-life, fast-feedback from the assembled at the annual Easter Jeep Safari.

  • Increasing Use of Structural Adhesives in Automotive

    Can you glue a car together? Frank Billotto of DuPont Transportation & Industrial discusses the major role structural adhesives can play in vehicle assembly.

Gardner Business Media - Strategic Business Solutions