Nissan May Cut 10 Pct of Workforce in Europe: FT

London, May 5 (Jiji Press)–Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co. is considering cutting about 10 pct of its workforce in Europe as part of its restructuring efforts, the Financial Times reported in its online edition Tuesday. Nissan employs around 9,300 people in Europe. According to the report, the company plans to cut about 900 jobs, mainly among clerical workers, in Britain, Spain and other countries. A Nissan public relations official said Tuesday that the company has started talks with employees in Europe as part of its global restructuring efforts. The partial closure of a warehouse in Barcelona, Spain, is also expected to be discussed. The official also revealed plans to consolidate two production lines at Nissan’s Sunderland plant in Britain to improve its plant utilization rate. It is believed that Nissan is also considering using excess capacity through partnerships with external companies. Nissan is pursuing a turnaround plan that includes cutting about 20,000 jobs and consolidating plants around the world in response to poor earnings. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]