Japanese automaker Nissan Motor has commenced discussions with the union representing employees at its European regional office, Nissan Automotive Europe, regarding organisational changes, which are expected to include job reductions.
These talks are part of the company's extensive restructuring efforts, as confirmed by internal company communications, as reported by Reuters.
The company's regional office, which currently employs approximately 560 staff members, is located in Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France, and responsible for overseeing operations across the Middle East, Africa, Oceania, and India.
According to the documents obtained by the publication, management has reached an agreement with the union to explore the option of voluntary redundancies prior to proceeding with any compulsory layoffs.
The discussions are anticipated to be concluded by 20 October 2025, with a full briefing for the staff expected in November.
In a 31 July email, Nissan vice chairperson for the region Massimiliano Messina said: "We are working diligently and respectfully with all parties to ensure that this process is conducted with care, transparency, and in full compliance with legal requirements.
In the email, Messina communicated that there had not been any final decisions made at that point in time.
The company's CEO, Ivan Espinosa, who assumed his role in April, has announced a comprehensive restructuring plan.
This strategy includes reducing Nissan's workforce by around 15%, cutting worldwide production capacity by around 30% to 2.5 million vehicles, and diminishing the manufacturing sites from 17 to 10.
The restructuring plan aims to generate savings of Y500bn ($3.4bn) for Nissan, which has been grappling with declining sales, particularly in China and the US.
These challenges have been exacerbated by an aggressive expansion strategy that has not yielded the expected returns.
In line with the restructuring, Nissan recently announced that it would cease production at its Civac plant in Mexico by March of the following year and wind down car manufacturing at its Oppama plant in Japan by March 2028, as well as at the Nissan-Shatai Shonan factory by March 2027.
The company's latest sales figures indicate a 5% year-on-year decrease in global sales to 262,133 vehicles in June 2025, with both domestic and international sales experiencing a downturn.
Sales in Japan fell by 3.7%, while overseas sales saw a 5.1% decline.
As per a diversity report published in October last year, Nissan employs about 19,000 individuals across Africa, India, the Middle East, Oceania, and Europe, with the majority based in Europe.
