autoevolution
 

PSA Closing Down Aulnay Plant

After a history of 39 years, it looks like Peugeot’s Aulnay factory, located just outside Paris, will be closed down. The reason for this is the fact that it has been operating under its optimal capacity, as well as the fact that PSA’s Poissy plant, which currently builds the 208, will incorporated the production of the C3, in order for it to operate optimally (as it is also used at less than its full and optimal capacity also).
PSA Aulnay - Angry Workers 1 photo
Photo: adevarul.ro
The Aulnay factory was the birth place of 135,787 Citroen C3s last year, and it even produced the iconic Citroen DS of the 1960s between 1973 and 1973, as well as various other Peugeot and Citroen Models over the years. Currently, there are 3,100 workers there and that number needs to drop down to ‘0’, by the year 2014 when the finalization of the closure is planned.

If this wasn’t enough, PSA will also send home no fewer than 1,400 additional workers from their Rennes factory, where the group’s largest cars are built (the Citroen C5 and C6, as well as the Peugeot 508). All these cuts are meant to increase the capacity utilization figure of PSA’s factories, which dropped from 86% last year, to the 76% figure recently announced by officials.

However, according to autonews.com, the story does not end here, as the French government, which has ‘helped’ PSA with some €4- ($4.8- / £3.15-) billion in recent years, is not at all pleased by the announcement, fearing that workers’ rights may be neglected. French Social Affairs Minister, Marisol Touraine stated that "We cannot accept something like this [. . .] The state is going to look at the company's strategy and what should be demanded in the interests of its workers."
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories