The automotive Toyota I would be faced with a plan voluntary retreats for part of its 8,500 employees, as a result of the decline in demand for the production of its Zárate plant, especially from some of the markets to which it exports, such as Chile and Colombia.
As published by the specialized website Infogremiales, the company has already informed the Mechanics Union (SMATA) that this week it will implement a staff reduction plan.
At Toyota They have not commented on the publication. But a month ago the owner of the company, Gustavo Salinashad warned that this year the production of the Zárate factory will fall compared to the 182,000 units produced in 2023 to no more than 165,000.
The Toyota factory is the largest automaker in the country, with 8,500 employees work in three shifts and with 80% of its sales They are exported to 21 countries in the region, led by Brazil.
Part of this task had already been compromised by mid-February, when the morning shift was reduced to Monday. But by then the company had expectations of a recovery in external markets, where in 2023 8 Hilux and SW4s were sold out of 10 produced at the plant.
As detailed by Toyota’s CEO, sales of zero kilometer units They fell by 40% in Colombia and 25% in Chiletwo of the most important markets to which the company exports, behind Brazil.
“In Brazil we have a very high market share, it is a market where there is a lot of oversupply of products, but we are not reducing our sales. We are according to plan, but very strongly. While in Colombia sales are it went down 40% and in Chile, 25%,” Salinas told Clarín in mid-February.
-And this year could we reach 182,000 units produced in 2023?
-No, no, no, this year We are already thinking of producing between 160,000 and 165,000 units. Now, this is absolutely dynamic because, for example, in countries where sales are decreasing, in January they were increasing, so we monitor this on a day-to-day basis. But today the plan is this.
In Argentina, sales of the Hilux pick-up also fell 20% in the first half of the year (3,455 units patented between January and February, against 4,313 in the same period of the previous year). This is a significant decline, although attenuated compared to the total number of patents, which They accumulate a decline of 27% in the first two months of 2024.
According to what was published on Sunday by Infogremiales, the company has informed the Smata union that it will proceed with the restructuring of its staff. There is no precise data on the number of personnel who would be affected. The site reports, without citing sources: “Toyota’s estimate is that of today’s production level remained 400 jobs. The voluntary retirement plan would serve to bring us closer to that horizon.”
Source: Clarin
