Volkswagen‘s Slovakian unit is to manufacture SUV’s from its plant in Bratislava in three shifts as of today (29 March), local press has reported.
The news agency SITA cited company spokesman Vladimir Machalik saying that a growing demand for vehicles manufactured in Bratislava is behind the increased number of shifts.
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The three-shift operation will build SUVs and prepare chassis for Volkswagen Touareg and Audi Q7 cars.
The three shifts will operate five days a week. Volkswagen employees who have been temporarily working in other VW plants in Europe will return to Bratislava, the news report said.
Volkswagen cut staff numbers at its plant near Bratislava in Slovakia by 17% last year while production was slashed 44% year on year as the global downturn hit demand for its cars.
Volkswagen Slovakia chairman Andreas Tostmann told a press conference, earlier this month, that the workforce was cut by 1,300 to 6,500 people during 2009 as output fell to 105,997 units from 188,000 between 2008 and 2009.
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By GlobalDataThe plant produces the VW Touareg, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and Skoda Octavia. Last year, VW Group said the plant would also produce a small family car based on the Up! It is spending EUR308m (US$400m) to create 1,500 direct and 7,000 indirect jobs next year.
In the meantime, Tostmann said the Slovakian operations were prepared for the difficult economic situation to continue through 2010.
