Mexican Media Brands
GM to Close Factory in Germany Next Year
General Motors Co.'s Opel unit says it will shutter its assembly plant in Bochum, Germany, by the end of 2014 because 76% of the hourly workers there rejected a contract that would have kept the facility open through 2016.
Share
General Motors Co.'s Opel unit says it will shutter its assembly plant in Bochum, Germany, by the end of 2014 because 76% of the hourly workers there rejected a contract that would have kept the facility open through 2016.
Under that agreement Opel also would have converted the factory into a logistics center and shifted some employees to a nearby distribution facility, thus saving 1,200 of the Bochum plant's more than 3,000 jobs.
The company says it won't hold further labor talks there.
The current generation of the Zafira Tourer MPV built in Bochum will end its lifecycle late next year. Opel warned previously it would close the factory then if the accord weren't approved.
A broader contract will be implemented at the company's four other unionized plants in Germany after more than 80% of workers there ratified the deal. The pact freezes wages through 2015 and extends job security by two years to 2016 for more than 20,000 employees.
RELATED CONTENT
-
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.
-
On Fuel Cells, Battery Enclosures, and Lucid Air
A skateboard for fuel cells, building a better battery enclosure, what ADAS does, a big engine for boats, the curious case of lean production, what drivers think, and why Lucid is remarkable
-
Mustang Changes for 2018
On Tuesday Ford unveiled—using the social media channels of actor Dwayne Johnson (this has got to unnerve some of the auto buff book editors)—the 2018 Mustang, which has undergone some modifications: under the hood (the 3.7-liter V6 is giving way to a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four, and a 10-speed automatic is available), on the dash (a 12-inch, all-digital LCD screen is available for the dashboard), at the tires (12 wheel choices), on the chassis (MagneRide damper technology is being offered with the Mustang Performance Package), and on the exterior (three new paint colors). And while on the subject of the exterior, there are some notable changes—a lower, remodeled hood, repositioned hood vents, new upper and lower front grilles, LED front lights, revised LED taillamps, new rear bumper and fascia.
