Type
Internal restructuring
Country
Belgium
Region
Vlaams Gewest; Prov. Oost-Vlaanderen; Arr. Gent
Location of affected unit(s)
Ghent
Sector
Manufacturing
Manufacture For Transport Equipment
Manufacture Of Motor Vehicles, Trailers And Semi-Trailers
29 - Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers

600 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
1 October 2008
Employment effect (start)
31 October 2008
Foreseen end date
31 December 2008

Description

Volvo Europa Trucks is a subsidiary of the Swedish cars manufacturer Volvo building trailers. The site of Ghent, in Belgium, is the only European site building Volvo trailers. During the month of October, the company announced two consecutives restructuring processes leading to 400 and to 200 jobs lost concerning blue-collars as well as white-collars. At first, the company announced the cancellation of the night shift that employed 400 employees including temporary workers and workers employed with a fixed-term contract. At the end of the month, Volvo announced a second round of restructuring that would concern 200 jobs including 150 employees with a fixed-term contract. No direct dismissal is forecast: the fixed-term and temporary contracts will not be extended and early retirement will be proposed for the rest of the workers concerned. The job losses will be carried out by the end of 2008. The company explained these measures by a huge decrease of the demand and the consequences of the international financial crisis.

For further information, see the EIRO report.


Sources

  • 28 October 2008: L'Echo
  • 1 October 2008: La Libre Belgique (www.lalibre.be)

Citation

Eurofound (2008), Volvo Europa Truck, Internal restructuring in Belgium, factsheet number 67280, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/67280.