Renault has detailed the scope of its proposed job cuts in France, union sources told French news media, including 2,100 factory positions and 1,500 in engineering.
As part of a plan to find 2.15 billion euros ($2.4 billion) in fixed cost savings over the next three years, Renault has said it would eliminate 15,000 positions worldwide, with about 4,600 in France.
Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard has said the cuts will be made through voluntary actions such as early retirements and buyouts.
French news media reported that Renault officials met with unions on Tuesday to outline the job cuts. In addition to reductions in factory workers and engineering, about 1,000 support positions will be eliminated, according to reports.
Renault officials declined to comment.
The second-largest union at Renault, the CFDT, denounced the cost-cutting plan in a statement released ahead of the meeting.
“Launching such a project with the country barely emerging from an unprecedented health crisis shows opportunism, irresponsibility and disrespect for employees and stakeholders,” the union said. “This is not a plan to ensure the sustainability of the company but a plan to cut production in France.”
The overall cutbacks will include a reduction of 800 million euros in engineering and R&D costs, 650 million euros on the production side, and 700 million euros in general and administrative areas.
Renault has promised to hold off on immediately closing assembly plants in France, but Senard and interim CEO Clotilde Delbos have warned that excess capacity in France could become a problem.
As part of the cost-cutting plan, a small factory in Dieppe that builds the Alpine A110 sports car is expected to be shut down, and the factory in Flins, France, that builds the Zoe EV and Nissan Micra small hatchback will be converted to reconditioning and other operations in the next four years. Two small support factories are also expected to close.
The French financial newspaper Les Echos has reported that the workforce at Flins would be cut to 1,600 positions from 2,600.
Renault now has about 48,000 employees in France, of which 17,300 are in production, 8,900 in engineering and 6,600 in support functions. The remainder work in associated business units such as the Renault Retail Group.