French carmaker Renault said on Friday it was launching talks with unions to restructure some plants and potentially close others as it confirmed plans to cut around 15,000 jobs worldwide to ride out a slump in sales, reports FRANCE 24.
Faced with a downturn in demand compounded by the coronavirus crisis, Renault is aiming to find 2 billion euros ($2.22 billion) in savings over the next three years as it shrinks production and hones in on more profitable models.
It said the restructuring measures — including the job cuts, transfers and retirement plans that would affect just under 10% of its global workforce — would cost 1.2 billion euros.
Some 4,600 jobs would go in France, though largely through a voluntary departure plan and a retirement scheme, Franck Daout of the CFDT trade union told REUTERS.
The overall cuts would affect just under 10% of Renault's 180,000 global workforce. The firm has around 48,500 staff in France.
"They've insisted on the fact everything will be negotiated," Daout said, adding that unions and state bodies would be involved in talks over potential job losses in France.