Struggling French carmaker PSA Peugeot-Citroen is slashing 8,000 jobs in France and closing an iconic site north of Paris.
Union members said company management announced the job cuts and closure plan during a meeting with the works council. The restructuring plan includes the closure of its Aulnay-sous-Bois factory.
Unions vowed to try to fight back, and plan protests later Thursday.
The company is trying to save €1 billion ($1.2 billion) this year as it struggles to compete in Europe's fiercely competitive car market. It is suffering particularly amid a slump in sales in the recession-hit south of Europe. Its sales plunged 20 percent in Europe in the first quarter.
It is hoping a new alliance with General Motors Corp. will allow it to return to long-term profitability.
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Sebastien Ogier, in a Citroen DS3 WRC, has won Rallye de France Alsace for the first time following a nail-biting finish to the world championship qualifier near Strasbourg this afternoon.
Ogier fended off the MINI John Cooper Works WRC of Spaniard Dani Sordo on the event-closing Power Stage in Sebastien Loeb’s hometown of Haguenau. The seven time-world champion wasn’t in action following his retirement on Friday morning when his factory Citroen suffered a rare engine failure.
Victory for Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia marked their fifth triumph of 2011 following wins in Portugal, Jordan, Greece and Germany earlier in the campaign. The result also puts Ogier back into contention for the drivers’ world title with two events remaining.
Petter Solberg, in a privateer Citroen, finished third with Mikko Hirvonen the first factory Ford driver home in fourth to maintain his championship bid.
