“During this current production pause, we are working with government officials and our unions to implement new procedures to certify the daily wellness of our work force while also redesigning work stations to maintain proper social distancing and expanding the already extensive cleaning protocols at all locations,” FCA said in a statement. “As a result of these actions, we will only restart operations with safe, secure and sanitized workplaces to protect all of our employees.”
Ford, which said last week it was suspending North American production indefinitely, has not set a return date.
“We are continuing to assess public health conditions, government guidelines and supplier readiness to determine when the time is right to resume production in our North American plants. We’ll share more detail at the appropriate time.”
BMW also said Monday its plant in South Carolina — the largest automotive exporting plant in the U.S. — would remain closed through April 30. A company statement didn’t commit to a restart date.
“We continue to be concerned about the health and safety of the entire BMW work force,” the company said in a statement. “During this time, additional cleaning and disinfecting will be performed at work stations throughout the plant.”
BMW said that while operations are suspended, it “will adjust its production volume, shift models and work force structure to reflect the changing market. The company will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate action when it is needed.”
