Automaker Ford Motor Corp. said a strike initiated on Monday at its Taubate plant in Brazil will hamper about BRL 1.2 billion ($363.6 million) in investments to boost car output.
“The confirmation of the [proposed] investment fundamentally depends on the previously negotiated terms agreed upon by the local union,” the company said.
Local union Sindmetau said Ford’s workers at its Taubate plant, located in the city of same name in the state of Sao Paulo, went on an indefinite strike on Monday. The strike was a result of discussions between the company and the workers regarding the workers’ weekly shifts.
In 2012, when production levels were high, workers used to work from Monday to Saturday. Then, when production levels fell, they adopted a Monday through Friday shift. Now that production volumes are increasing again, Ford wants employees to work on a Monday through Saturday shift again, with only one day off during the week.
Ford said the plant’s productivity will be seriously affected if the workers don’t accept the company’s proposal to work from Monday through Saturday.