WARSAW, Poland (AP) -- Carmaker Opel's factory in southern Poland will temporarily halt production because of lower demand in Europe amid the global financial crisis, an official said Wednesday.
The plant in Gliwice is planning a total of 14 days of suspended production in November and December to "adjust production to the demand in Western Europe," which dropped by 10.6 percent between July and September, said Wojciech Osos, a spokesman for General Motors Poland, which owns Opel.
"We link the lower demand with the crisis, because it is manifested in clients holding up their purchase decisions," Osos told The Associated Press.
The factory, which opened in 1998, makes Astra and Zafira cars, and employs around 3,000 workers. They will receive full payment despite the temporary work suspensions, Osos said.
It already suspended production for three weeks in October.
Around 158,000 cars were made by the end of October this year, compared to 151,600 cars made at the same time last year, Osos said.