Peugeot’s Vauxhall UK car factory cut to four-day week

LONDON (Reuters) – Peugeot’s British car factory will go down to a four-day working week later this month as the firm finds efficiencies in the face of a weak European car market.

The northern English Ellesmere Port site built just under 62,000 Vauxhall/Opel Astra cars last year and workers are awaiting a decision on whether fresh investment will be made to keep the facility open, dependent on the outcome of Brexit.

“Our plant in Ellesmere Port will run over four days per week with extended hours each day,” the carmaker said in a statement.

“This results in the same number of hours being worked over four days as was previously the case over five, therefore no impact on volume.”

The decision is not linked to coronavirus, a spokesman said.

The boss of parent company PSA Carlos Tavares said earlier this month its European facilities have enough supplies to keep running for now during the outbreak.

No job cuts are being made but the automaker will “study the result of this decision and discuss with work force representatives and trade unions whether there are any impacts”.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Michael Holden)