PSA to curb Slovak production on stalled supplies from Japan

March 26, 2011 | 09:17

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French car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen said Friday it would temporarily cut production at its Slovak plant next week after the massive earthquake in Japan earlier this month hit car part supplies.

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"The company will completely halt production on Monday and reduce output to one shift for the rest of the week," Peter Svec, spokesman for the PSA plant, told AFP.

"The company lacks components for diesel engines produced by Japanese supplier Hitachi," he added.

The PSA plant in Trnava, western Slovakia, which employs 3,000 staff and exports most of its production to the German, French and Italian markets, normally operates in two shifts.

PSA's headquarters and unions in France said Thursday the company had laid off several thousand workers temporarily because of the drop in supplies from Japan, with the stoppage affecting some 5,000 workers at various company sites in France and another 5,000 at subcontractors.

The March 11 quake and tsunami, which left more than 27,000 people dead or missing, caused extensive economic damage and forced Japan's main automakers to halt production.

AFP

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