F&I Management & Training

The European Metalworkers' Association has called General Motors to back workers at Saab's Trollhattan factory who, it says, have made enormous sacrifices to reduce costs and help the company survive the economic crisis.

These efforts, together with the consultation process with the Swedish unions and authorities, have produced a viable business plan for the future of the company, says the Union.

"We trust therefore that General Motors will fully shoulder its responsibilities and agree on an alternative solution to closure of the Trollhattan plant so that all these efforts will not have been in vain", said EMF General Secretary Peter Scherrer.

Closure would mean the loss of the 3,400 direct jobs in the company as well as up to 10,000 indirect jobs in supplier companies in the region. Manufacturing industry in the area has already been hard hit by the crisis, but closure of Saab would also put the entire Swedish vehicle manufacturing industry at risk.

Saab Automobile is in fact a viable company with a highly-skilled workforce that can produce high-quality, competitive cars, says the Union, which says the plant is now ready to go ahead with production of a new model.

The Union says that it fully supports the appeal from the Swedish unions to General Motors management to thoroughly investigate new offers despite the company's announcement that it would begin closure of the Saab Automobile Trollhattan plant last Friday.

The EMF wants GM management and the Swedish Government to work hand-in-hand to pursue all alternative avenues to closure.

General Motors is reportedly continuing to study an offer from Spyker Cars for the acquisition of Saab