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From The Guardian's live feed:
Vauxhall’s major UK manufacturing facilities are to close until 27 March as part of a Europe-wide shutdown by owner PSA Group due to coronavirus.
Carmakers including Fiat Chrysler, Peugeot, Volkswagen and its premium unit Audi are reducing production at their European plants as they grapple with the Coronavirus.
Like factories in the UK they do not have clarity on social-distancing rules in the workplace.
Audi said workers have downed tools over concerns about exposure to the virus while Fiat Chrysler said it was halting production for two weeks to help protect staff and adjust to decline in demand.
French carmaker PSA, which owns the Peugeot, Opel and Vauxhall brands, also said it was closing its European factories until March 27.
Ford said it was closing its plant in Valencia, Spain, for the rest of this week following a flurry of infections, and would reassess after talks with trade unions.
“We have had three positive cases of COVID-19 on the Valencia site in a 24-hour period, two of which involved more isolated workers who did not enter the assembly operations,” a spokeswoman said on Monday.
Ford employees who had close contact with the affected workers are now in self-isolation.
“We will take all other appropriate steps to ensure that risk from this situation is minimised,” Ford said.
Last week, some Spanish plants of the Renault-Nissan alliance and Volkswagen’s Spanish division Seat announced temporary stoppages that could last for days or weeks.
On Monday, Volkswagen’s Autoeuropa car assembly plant near Lisbon, Portugal, said it had reduced its daily output by 16% because of a shortage of workers after Portugal ordered all schools closed amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Volkswagen also said on Sunday it was preparing to suspend operations at its plant in Bratislava after Slovakia declared a state of emergency in response to the virus.
Could have an impact on Automotive stocks in general.
Vauxhall’s major UK manufacturing facilities are to close until 27 March as part of a Europe-wide shutdown by owner PSA Group due to coronavirus.
Carmakers including Fiat Chrysler, Peugeot, Volkswagen and its premium unit Audi are reducing production at their European plants as they grapple with the Coronavirus.
Like factories in the UK they do not have clarity on social-distancing rules in the workplace.
Audi said workers have downed tools over concerns about exposure to the virus while Fiat Chrysler said it was halting production for two weeks to help protect staff and adjust to decline in demand.
French carmaker PSA, which owns the Peugeot, Opel and Vauxhall brands, also said it was closing its European factories until March 27.
Ford said it was closing its plant in Valencia, Spain, for the rest of this week following a flurry of infections, and would reassess after talks with trade unions.
“We have had three positive cases of COVID-19 on the Valencia site in a 24-hour period, two of which involved more isolated workers who did not enter the assembly operations,” a spokeswoman said on Monday.
Ford employees who had close contact with the affected workers are now in self-isolation.
“We will take all other appropriate steps to ensure that risk from this situation is minimised,” Ford said.
Last week, some Spanish plants of the Renault-Nissan alliance and Volkswagen’s Spanish division Seat announced temporary stoppages that could last for days or weeks.
On Monday, Volkswagen’s Autoeuropa car assembly plant near Lisbon, Portugal, said it had reduced its daily output by 16% because of a shortage of workers after Portugal ordered all schools closed amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Volkswagen also said on Sunday it was preparing to suspend operations at its plant in Bratislava after Slovakia declared a state of emergency in response to the virus.
Could have an impact on Automotive stocks in general.
