Stellantis factories in Rennes and Sochaux once again shut down due to semiconductor shortage – BFMTV

The Stellantis plant in Rennes will be shut down all next week, while the historic Sochaux site will experience three days of shutdown. Once again involved: the continuing shortage of semiconductors.

The manufacturers had warned in the middle of the summer, during the presentation of their half-year results: the shortage of chips was not ready to stop, the second half would be difficult. Their predictions unfortunately seem to come true.

After Toyota and Ford, it is the turn of Stellantis to announce this Thursday afternoon the shutdown of two factories in France next week: the sites of Rennes-La Janais (Ille-et-Vilaine) and Sochaux ( Doubs).

Rennes at the stop from 23 to 27 August

From 23 to 27 August inclusive, the Rennes-La Janais (Ille-et-Vilaine) plant will be completely shut down. The announcement was made in the Social and Economic Committee (CSE). “The factory will shut down tomorrow evening (Friday) for a week” due to a supply problem linked to a “supplier in Malaysia which has to close due to Covid cases”, management told AFP . Some 400 vehicles usually roll off the chains every day, SUVs Citroën C5 Aircross and Peugeot 5008.

The management does not give any forecast as to the date of resumption of production on the Breton site, but assures to have “made an appointment” with the employees on August 27 “for the resumption or not (of the activity) the week after “.

“It is a blow for the employees after the holidays who hoped all the same that the stocks of semiconductors at the suppliers would make it possible to pass the month of September without being too impacted by nonworking sessions”, reacted in a press release the representatives of the CFDT of La Janais.

“For the CFDT, the reassuring messages from Management during the Central Works Council of June 24 for the second half of 2021 are no longer relevant. On the other hand, the communication of July 21, 2021 from Carlos Tavares CEO of the Stellantis Group which suggested that the semiconductor crisis, despite the lack of visibility would continue into 2022 is unfortunately being confirmed, “continue the representatives of the CFDT in their press release.

Sochaux also at a standstill

A second Stellantis plant will also be impacted next week by the shortage of semiconductors: the historic Sochaux site, parent company of the Peugeot brand. According to Reuters, the site will be partially shut down next week for three days.

“We are driving the situation day after day, plant by plant, taking into account the global context,” a spokesperson for Stellantis told Reuters. The Sochaux plant had already been set for nearly three weeks in the spring.