Just as expected, GM's decision to close the Antwerp plant outraged Opel's employees in Belgium, all of them arguing that the US-based car manufacturer could save the factory through a number of measures. Furthermore, some Opel officials went even further and described the decision to shut down the local factory - which led to laying off around 2,600 people - a "declaration of war".
Armin Schild, a member of Opel’s board, criticized General Motors for its restructuring measures and emphasized that the carmaker has not made profitable decisions in the last 15 years, leftlanenews.com reported.
“Now, GM is apparently off on the next horror trip,” Schild told the DAPD news agency.
General Motors confirmed last week that it will close the Antwerp facility, a process that would last until the end of the year. The decision has already led to protests at the Belgium plant, with some employees blocking access to the facility's parking.
“We fully understand the effect this announcement has on the Antwerp employees and their families and we sympathize with them,” said Opel CEO Nick Reilly.
“Many have been dedicated to the plant over generations and have done an excellent job producing great quality cars. The decision to announce this today, was not taken lightly; instead, it is the unfortunate result of the current business reality. We must make this announcement now so that we can secure a viable future for the entire Opel and Vauxhall operations.”
Armin Schild, a member of Opel’s board, criticized General Motors for its restructuring measures and emphasized that the carmaker has not made profitable decisions in the last 15 years, leftlanenews.com reported.
“Now, GM is apparently off on the next horror trip,” Schild told the DAPD news agency.
General Motors confirmed last week that it will close the Antwerp facility, a process that would last until the end of the year. The decision has already led to protests at the Belgium plant, with some employees blocking access to the facility's parking.
“We fully understand the effect this announcement has on the Antwerp employees and their families and we sympathize with them,” said Opel CEO Nick Reilly.
“Many have been dedicated to the plant over generations and have done an excellent job producing great quality cars. The decision to announce this today, was not taken lightly; instead, it is the unfortunate result of the current business reality. We must make this announcement now so that we can secure a viable future for the entire Opel and Vauxhall operations.”