Employment in auto industry down 15% in 2001

Employment in the automotive sector decreased by 15% last year. Of 46 motor companies operating in Poland, 39 experienced layoffs caused by a decrease in car sales. As many as 5,200 employees lost their jobs. This year 12 automotive companies plan further layoffs of 734 employees. The largest number of layoffs resulted from the bankruptcy of Polish-Korean van maker Daewoo Motor Lublin. It is not known how many people will remain employed at the company, as its future is yet to be resolved. According to data from the Union of Automotive Industry Employers (ZPM), almost 3,000 workers in 12 subsidiaries owned by Daewoo-FSO were dismissed last year and the current employment level in Daewoo subsidiaries stands at 6,800. Although auto industry giant General Motors (GM) guaranteed in June 2001 that the co mpany's world job reduction program would not apply to the company's Polish operations, GM has since announced that by June 2002 as many as 350 em ployees in GM's Gliwice plant will be made redundant. However, motor i ndustry specialists say that employment in this sector will increase this year. Several auto companies increased their payrolls last year, with the largest number of jobs, 491, provided by French car-seat producer Faurencia. The company is planning to increase that number this year by hiring a further 505 people in the company's locations in Grojec and Walbrzych. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B1) A.Z.