One of the biggest car brands in motoring has confirmed European job losses within a matter of months. Japanese car brand Nissan has entered into consultations with staff representatives at their European regional office.
The Japanese marque employs 560 people at its Montigny-le-Bretonneux base in France. The office also oversees Nissan’s operations for Africa, the Middle East, India and Oceania. The site is set to undergo major changes, but confirmation on how many people are at risk has yet to be unveiled.
It is understood that management and the union have agreed to discuss voluntary redundancies before anyone is forced out of their roles. Talks with staff are expected to be finished within a matter of months, coming to an end around October 20.
It is then understood that full details over what will happen next will be shared with staff in November. According to Reuters, an email was sent to staff around the changes on July 31.
Massimiliano Messina, Nissan’s vice chairperson for the region, reportedly 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.”
The announcement comes after new Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa confirmed plans to restructure the brand. Globally, Nissan has plans to cut 15% of the company’s workforce with as many as 11,000 jobs set to end.
There are also plans to close up to seven plants which will cut production capacity by nearly 30%. It means the number of manufacturing sites will fall from 17 to just 10 with the business to produce just 2.5 million vehicles.
Nissan confirmed there would be job losses at the company’s UK factory based in Sunderland. Back in June, officials stressed that a voluntary leave scheme had opened up to staff with around 250 individuals thought to be at risk.
A spokesperson previously said: “In order to support future competitiveness, this week we are beginning discussions with some of our team in Sunderland about the opportunity to voluntarily leave Nissan, with support from the company. This will support the plant’s efficiency as we aim to become a leaner, more resilient, business.”
Express.co.uk has contacted Nissan for the latest statement.
