Volkswagen and Ford workers in Brazil have agreed to a 20% reduction in working hours as well as wage cuts in order to avoid mass layoffs.

Under the deal, around 4,400 workers at Ford and 11,600 at Volkswagen will work for 80% of their usual hours, Reuters reported. Under terms of the government’s Job Protection Programme (PPE), if it agrees to the deal and pays 10% of the workers’ current pay, their wages will be reduced only by 10%.

The agreement at the Ford plant in São Bernardo, outside Sao Paulo, Brazil’s biggest city, ends an eight day strike, the union said in a statement cited by the news agency. The Ford agreement will also extend an earlier income protection scheme to 100 workers laid off starting in May and apply the terms of the same older programme to workers facing layoff in January, the union said.

Representatives of Volkswagen confirmed to Reuters the automaker had reached a PPE deal with the union, pending government approval, at its Anchieta plant also in suburban São Paulo. Volkswagen did not give details of the accord.

BRAZIL: GM strike ends as Mercedes truck workers walk

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.