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Spanish Opel Workers Protest Against Magna

Things are getting worse for Magna International, the Canadian - Austrian partsmaker recently picked by General Motors to become Opel's new owner. Thousands of Spanish Opel workers demonstrated last weekend in Zaragoza, northeast Spain, as Magna is believed to cut around 1,700 jobs at the local plants.

According to a report by Reuters, local politicians and union representatives joined Opel's employees from the Figueruelas, Zaragoza factory as they marched through the streets of the city carrying banners and messages for Magna International.

The aforementioned source says that approximately 1,700 workers are expected to lose their jobs in Spain under the ownership of Magna International, while another 800 might be indirectly affected as they are working in auxiliary industries. The President of the Aragon region has already expressed his support for the local Opel workers and emphasized that his government will do anything that's possible to keep the plant open.

"We will fight tooth and nail to defend every job at the plant," he said.

Magna is facing similar problems in Belgium where it might close the doors of the Antwerp plant. Several German workers have already announced their plans to travel to Belgium to support their local colleagues. GM CEO Fritz Henderson confirmed last week at the Frankfurt Auto Show that the Antwerp factory is indeed at risk but a final decision will be made in the near future.

"That plant has been under evaluation for some time; no final decision has been taken. But it's certainly at risk,"
he explained.

General Motors agreed two weeks ago to cease a 55 percent stake in Opel to Magna and Sberbank and leave another 10 percent to Opel's employees. GM would retain 35 percent of the German brand.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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