The carmaker Opel has reduced production at its main plant in Rüsselsheim in western Germany.
A company spokesman said on Monday that the assembly of the Astra compact car and its sister model, the DS 4, would be paused for the whole of this week.
The company, which belongs to the Stellantis group, is converting the Rüsselsheim plant to a single-shift operation in consultation with the works council. The consultation is expected to last until the end of January.
The spokesman said employees had been released from work without wage deductions for the current week. This is intended as recognition for the work they have done, he said. Production will then run in single-shift operation from the week beginning December 9.
Opel celebrated its 125-year history in vehicle construction in June, an anniversary marked by a visit from the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz.
The former General Motors subsidiary was taken over by the Peugeot parent company PSA in 2017, which in turn was later absorbed into the multinational Stellantis group. That lead to several thousand jobs being cut.
Some 1,600 people are currently employed in the Rüsselsheim assembly plant.
The early departure of the Stellantis group’s boss, Carlos Tavares was revealed at the weekend, leading to a drop in the company’s share price.
Source: dpa.com