The Stellantis logo on an illustrative photo
Stellantis announced on Wednesday the end of the night shift in March at its Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin) factory due to the geopolitical context, uncertainties over bonuses in Europe and the price war on electricity, leading to the elimination of 600 temporary positions out of the 1,600 on the site, a union official told Reuters.
“It is a tangle of factors which means that the markets are cautious and that the group must adapt its course, even if it means going back later,” declared Laurent Gautherat, CFE-CGC union representative.
A Stellantis spokesperson confirmed the announcement made in CSE, while specifying that this adjustment did not concern employees on permanent contracts. The Mulhouse factory employs 4,300 people excluding temporary workers and plans to hire 112 people on permanent contracts this year.
“We can clearly see that the European market is hesitant, the night shift was not busy enough, we prefer to strengthen the day shifts,” he added.
The adjustment is not linked to logistical problems in the Red Sea, the spokesperson clarified.
The contract of the temporary workers concerned will not be renewed at the end of its term. Specializing in sedans, the Stellantis factory in Mulhouse produces the Peugeot 308, 408 and 508, as well as the DS7, in different engines. The 308, and soon the 408, are also offered as 100% electric.
(Report by Gilles Guillaume, edited by Jean Terzian)