Opel says any component future for the Bochum plant is still being evaluated, but insists it will “not pull out” of the site once vehicle production ends in 2016.
Production at the Bochum site is planned to stop in 2016, once the Zafira run ends with the loss of up to 3,000 jobs, but Opel is holding out the possibility of some component and warehouse work.
“The other idea is component production, but it is still pending,” an Opel spokesman in Germany, told just-auto. “We will not completely move out of Bochum – we would stay there probably in a very reduced way.
“Bochum is centrally located in Germany. It is an important region for Opel so we will not pull out.”
Germany’s federal government in Berlin and regional State of North-Rhein Westphalia have had some tough comments to make concerning Opel, with national Economics Minister, Phillip Rösler, saying he understood why staff were angry but falling short of offering any financial aid, while the Düsseldorf administration said it was shocked at the news.
“There are many discussions going on in the political arena, but nothing from our side,” said the Opel spokesman.
“We made an announcement in June saying there may be a problem coming up. It is more or less from our side, there will be no follow-up product and we have to discuss that openly.”
