Opel to stop production of whole cars at Bochum plant by 2016

Opel is trying to compensate for 3000 potential job losses German carmaker Opel, a part of General Motors\' European division, has announced it will stop producing complete cars at its Bochum facility in Germany by 2016. \"The assembly of whole cars will end in Bochum by 2016,\" Interim Opel Chief Executive Thomas Sedran told DPA news agency.
The General Motors subsidiary has had many years of sluggish car sales across Europe in the grip of a protracted debt crisis, costing the parent company in the US billions of euros each year.
Up to 3,000 jobs could be lost at the 50-year-old Bochum plant, although management said Opel would not withdraw completely from the location. \"Opel will stay in Bochum with its logistics center,\" the company said in a statement. \"And there may also be a unit producing car components yet to be specified.\"
Opel announced that the location\'s distribution centre, with a workforce of 430, would also remain in place, adding that it may in the future employ many more people. \"We already have some ideas as to how to expand the center,\" Opel said without giving any details.
The announcements about the future of the Bochum plant were made at a staff meeting on Monday morning, after the workforce had grappled with rumours about plant closures for several months.
The news means full-cycle car assembly will stop after the end of the production of the current Zafira model.