MEXICO CITY -- Union workers at Volkswagen AG's Mexico plant agreed on Thursday to a company plan to stop work next month so production lines can be prepared ahead of the next generation of Golf cars on world markets.
The German carmaker proposed the month-long November stoppage to its near-10,000 union employees -- its central state of Puebla plant is the only one producing the new Beetle -- to give it time to change production lines ahead of the Golf launch.
"It's indispensable," said union secretary general Jose Luis Rodriguez. "This technical stoppage is required to modify production."
Rodriguez said after a union meeting that workers were still negotiating with the company over salaries to be paid during the stoppage.
Employees work Monday to Thursday, a cutback implemented this year due to lower demand from the United States.
They have been asked by the company to add Saturday to their work week to compensate for the effects on production of the November interruption, but that is still being negotiated.
In February, the plant cut its 2004 production goals to 235,000 vehicles from 250,000 in the face of lower demand.
