Back in April, GM announced it will close the facility, but a shimmer of hope still existed, with the American group saying it is still considering finding buyers for the plant. Now, several months later, that search proved to have been in vain.
According to Autonews, the Antwerp facility will be closed by the end of the year. The 1,300 people who still work there will be sent home in what Opel said in April will be “a socially responsible way."
The workers will receive severance packages, as the carmaker announced already, but so far no details on what exactly they include have been provided.
“None of the potential investors was able to come forward with a sustainable business concept for the plant,” the German manufacturer said in a statement cited by Autonews. “The process to search an industrial investor interested in continuing operations has come to an end.”
The workers' unions however have already begun stating their disapproval. Whereas in April, when the announcement of the closure was made, few raised concerns, now that the shutdown is approaching, more and more are beginning to speak their mind.
“The decision means the end for the workers of Opel Antwerp and its subcontractors," the ACV union said in a statement according to Business Week.
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