Swedish unions are urgently convening a meeting in Stockholm tomorrow (18 June) as storm clouds continue to gather over the cash-strapped producer of the Saab 9-3.
National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) says it has enough finance to pay its 600 remaining staff – 100 consultants have been made redundant – for June – but it is unclear where the money for the following month’s salary will originate following contractual issues with a shareholder.
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The IF Metall, Sveriges Ingenjorer and Unionen labour bodies, representing the engineering as well as white and blue collar wings of NEVS, will meet in Stockholm to address the alarming situation that has seen the automaker halt production for a month.
NEVS had started very limited manufacture of the 9-3 Saab model with deliveries begun to dealers across Sweden, but short-term cash problems have led to suppliers not being paid and the car lines idled.
“The meeting will be in Stockholm – it is the same lawyers from different unions – the same lawyers [as] in the Saab case,” IF Metall legal adviser Darko Davidovic told just-auto from Sweden, who also alluded to what could be difficulties in selling an electric version of of the 9-3.
“Of course, they are not selling, it is the old car…and people are not buying it. [With] electric cars, we have big companies that are hardly earning money.
“They [NEVS] are totally from the beginning – they have to employ people and to invent most of the car – of course that is a big cost.”
The IF Metall legal adviser said all three unions were well versed in dealing with the current impasse as they had collectively been through the trauma of the former Saab’s long and painful demise, which saw a significant number of actors from government, banks, suppliers and debt agencies involved.
“Probably we will make a letter to the company asking about the situation and asking if they will be pay [ing] suppliers,” said Davidovic.
“Now we [unions] have talked to each other and said we have to handle it just like last time – to do it together.”
NEVS was not immediately available for comment.
