The current status of Nissan’s manufacturing operations in Europe, in response to the COVID-19 emergency, is as follows:
Vehicle production has been suspended in Spain since March 13th, in the UK since March 17th and in Russia since March 30th. Across the business the company is following all the regulations and advice from national governments and has implemented a range of measures to ensure the welfare of employees and communities.
Nissan teams have been supporting any initiatives where their manufacturing and engineering expertise can be useful. These have included production and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline workers in the UK and Spain, and the production of respirators in Barcelona.
Like the rest of the automotive industry, Nissan is looking forward to resuming business as soon as circumstances across Europe allow. The industry is currently working with very limited visibility on future market conditions, however some activities are now being planned.
Nissan has spent recent weeks carrying out extensive risk assessments and benchmarking with other manufacturers around the world, to put in place a comprehensive set of safety measures to protect the health and wellbeing of employees.
In Sunderland, the new safety protocols will be implemented in a pilot activity involving the Powertrain team which will begin this week, in accordance with public health advice and supported by employee representatives. This will initially involve around 50 people.
Regular reviews will take place throughout each phase of this pilot, taking into account the feedback from the teams involved. This will inform the return to work protocols for the rest of the factory in the coming weeks. No date has been announced yet for the resumption of vehicle production.
Vehicle production will resume first in Barcelona, where we plan to restart with pickups on Line 2 and in the Powertrain Plant, along with the Montcada and Sant Andreu plants, on May 4th. Some projects will restart in Cantabria and Avila on April 27th. The management team in Spain is working with the Local Works Councils in those plants on the new measures and procedures required to ensure a safe restart.
Nissan is grateful for the financial assistance offered by national governments to support our 15,000 direct employees in Europe, our partner companies and suppliers. Our goal is to navigate through this crisis while maintaining activities critical for business continuity and to make sure we are prepared for the time when business resumes across Europe and we can welcome the Nissan team back to work.
SOURCE: Nissan
