As Ford Authority reported last week, Ford Focus production at the Saarlouis Assembly plant was seemingly set to be impacted by a strike after German union IG Metall called for the employees of five nearby suppliers – Magna, Benteler, Tenneco, Rhenus LMS, and Lear Corp – to take action after it made little progress over the past several months in regards to a new contract. Now, that’s precisely what has happened, as workers at those five suppliers have officially walked off the job site, meaning that Ford Focus production is officially on pause as well, according to Automotive News Europe.
With Ford Focus production officially on pause, the automaker is reportedly losing around €1 million ($1.09 million) per day, while around 500 workers are on strike across those five suppliers in total. This action directly impacts the Saarlouis plant, as FoMoCo gets a host of parts from those companies – including components related to powertrains and drivetrains, body parts, wiring, and exhaust systems. Regardless, a representative from IG Metall did note that once a resolution is reached, production should be able to restart quickly.
As Ford Authority previously reported, production of the Ford Focus is currently slated to end in November 2025. Regardless, even after that happens, Ford plans to keep that same plant open through 2032, albeit with a greatly reduced workforce as it seeks to find a buyer for the facility, which has thus far proven to be a difficult task.
Despite having a list of interested parties that reportedly included Chinese EV maker BYD, as well as Magna International and VDL Nedcar, the Ford Saarlouis Assembly plant recently attracted “a major investor” as well, but that entity later backed out of any potential deal that might have been on the table.
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