Toyota has suspended the activity of three factories, one in northern France and two in Great Britain after several European countries cut off their links due to the appearance of a new variant of the coronavirus across the Channel.
At the Valenciennes site, 5,000 employees were put on forced leave.
Employees will not return to their workshops before Monday.
Japanese auto giant Toyota has suspended activity at three factories, one in northern France and two in Britain, after several European countries cut off their links due to the emergence of a new variant of the coronavirus across the Channel.
The Valenciennes site was initially due to close Thursday morning, after the night shift, for the holidays.
The assembly line was finally shut down two days earlier following a shortage of stranded parts in Britain.
>> LIVE -
Coronavirus: follow the evolution of the situation Tuesday, December 22
"We have large components, for example the tail lights which are made in England. The same goes for our heating and ventilation systems. All it takes is one component missing so that we cannot finish our assembly. that the situation will unblock. We must think of our customers who are waiting for their vehicles ", explains Jean-Christophe Deville, vice-president in charge of the administration of the Toyota plant in Valenciennes.
"We will have to make up for lost time"
The 5,000 employees of the factory were therefore left with two days of forced leave.
No loss of salary but a production of 2,000 vehicles that will have to be caught up in January, explains Thomas Mercier, CFDT delegate.
"We will have to make up for lost time, knowing that today we have 75 days of waiting to provide a Yaris to a customer. Obviously, the deadline is getting longer. We will have to produce more next year, work Saturdays. and Sundays. The impact, I think we'll feel it next year. "
>> Find all the newspapers of the editorial staff of Europe 1 in replay and podcast here
Production could restart on Monday, December 28 afternoon, "if the situation evolves", according to management, who nevertheless hope that Brexit and the new customs formalities for imports from Great Britain will not yet disrupt the activity of factory.