Opel has decided to reduce vehicle production at its main factory in Rüsselsheim, a decision the brand intends to maintain until the end of January 2025.
According to the German business newspaper “Handelsblatt”, an internal circular from the workers’ council states that production employees will be laid off this week without salary deductions. Starting next week, they will return to their positions, but only with one work shift.
The specialized publication reports that Opel justified the production reduction with “peaks in processed orders and current market demands”.
“We are further optimizing internal work processes and organization as well as increasing the factory’s competitiveness”, explained Opel according to the revealed internal circular.
The “Handelsblatt” also notes that the slowdown in production is motivated by a decline in car sales in the current financial year, especially of the compact DS4 which is manufactured in Rüsselsheim.
It is worth noting that Opel’s Rüsselsheim factory celebrated 125 years of automobile production in June and currently employs around 1,600 workers.
