Peugeot recruits temporary staff in innovative holiday cover scheme
Published: 8 April 2002
On 26 February 2002, as part of its decision to build the estate version of the Peugeot 206 model at its Ryton plant near Coventry, the French-based car manufacturing company PSA Peugeot Citroën announced that it is to is to end the long-standing industry tradition of a three-week summer shutdown. Instead, some 700 temporary staff will be recruited in an innovative scheme to maintain continuous production throughout the summer. Each new temporary worker will be given one week's training.
In late February 2002, the car manufacturer Peugeot announced the end of the traditional summer shutdown at its Ryton plant near Coventry in the UK and the creation of up to 700 temporary jobs to enable existing staff to take flexible holidays.
On 26 February 2002, as part of its decision to build the estate version of the Peugeot 206 model at its Ryton plant near Coventry, the French-based car manufacturing company PSA Peugeot Citroën announced that it is to is to end the long-standing industry tradition of a three-week summer shutdown. Instead, some 700 temporary staff will be recruited in an innovative scheme to maintain continuous production throughout the summer. Each new temporary worker will be given one week's training.
The 3,000 existing manufacturing staff at Ryton will now have flexibility, within certain constraints, about when they take their summer holidays. The new arrangements will allow up to 25% of employees in any particular work zone to be away on holiday at the same time during the peak July-August school holiday period. The use of temporary staff throughout the year will also allow employees to take flexible holidays at other times of the year.
The company believes that it is the first car manufacturer in the UK to abolish the summer shutdown. The change is necessitated by the projected production volumes of the new Peugeot 206 SW. The Ryton plant will the sole producer of the new model for all world markets. The introduction of the new estate car also means lower-volume production of the existing 206 hatchback at Ryton, with output being increased at other Peugeot plants to compensate.
Trade unions at the plant welcomed the new arrangements. Chris Liddle, regional officer of the Transport and General Workers' Union, said: 'The T&G is pleased that that we have been able to negotiate an agreement which secures and creates jobs to maintain production at the same time as ensuring our members get the holidays they want and deserve.'
Peugeot's drive to boost production levels of the popular 206 model has also resulted in significant changes in work organisation at the Ryton plant on previous occasions. In September 2000, agreement was reached on the reduction of basic weekly working hours for production workers at Ryton from 39 to 36.75 and on accompanying changes to shift patterns, but not before industrial action by the plant's employees which was reportedly motivated by 'work-life balance' concerns (UK0101111F).
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