General Motors (GM) management started talks with union leaders today over up to 12,000 planned job cuts in Europe as workers at a plant in Bochum, Germany, refused to work for a fifth day running.
The talks at German unit Adam Opel's headquarters in Ruesselsheim are aimed at finding some common ground on how GM can save €500 million ($623.8 million) a year at its European operations, which have not made a profit since 1999.
The world's biggest carmaker said last week it may cut its 63,000-strong European workforce by nearly a fifth to get the cost savings it needs to address chronic overcapacity and intense price pressure in sluggish car markets.
Most of the cuts target high-cost Germany, home to the world's best-paid car workers.
An Opel spokesman said the talks had begun but he gave no more details.
Officials have warned not to expect a quick deal.
Staff reporting for the early shift at the Opel plant in the heavily industrialised Ruhr region city of Bochum voted not to resume work, extending a stoppage that began late on Thursday in protest at the carmaker's job-cut plans, a union official said.
About 4,000 people are in danger of losing their jobs in both the Bochum and Ruesselsheim plants, union sources say.