Hyundai Motor said it would halt production at its car plant in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu this week due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to reports in South Korea.
The automaker said it would suspend production for five days from today (Tuesday 25 May) after two workers tested positive for the disease.
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Tamil Nadu, one of the worst hit states in India with more than 30,000 daily cases, has imposed a widespread economic lockdown until the end of May, although some plants have been exempted – including those owned by international carmakers.
Hyundai workers staged a sit-in protest on Monday, calling for the car company to adhere to the state wide lockdown fearing many more workers would become infected.
Similarly, workers at Renault-Nissan’s Tamil Nadu car plant plan to go on strike on Wednesday, with unions claiming their COVID-related safety demands have not been met.
Hyundai has also been forced to halt operations at a number of production lines in South Korea for a couple of days this week due to the global shortage of semiconductors.
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By GlobalDataEarlier this week Kia Corporation also announced it planned to suspend production at its US plant in Georgia on Thursday and Friday due to the chip shortage, after a two-day stoppage last month.
