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 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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The 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.
Yesterday PSA Peugeot Citroen said it would suspend production at its assembly plant in Trnbava, Slovakia, for 13 days over the next three months to reduce this year’s output by 11,000 vehicles.
It told the Slovak daily Hospodarske Noviny it would halt operations for one day in April, six days in May and six days in June.
The plant makes the Peugeot 207 supermini and the Citroen C3 Picasso MPV. Last year it produced 205,000 vehicles.
