MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Toyota halts car production in Brazil due to damaged plant

The destroyed Porto Feliz complex is where engines are produced, which has paralyzed work at other plants

A Brazilian plant belonging to Japanese car manufacturer Toyota halted all production after the facility was destroyed by heavy rains hitting São Paulo.

Given the damages at the Porto Feliz complex in the State of São Paulo, where the vehicle brand's engines are produced, the Indaiatuba and Sorocaba factories, which are supplied by the former, have also stopped operations.

”At first glance, it will take months to get the engine plant back up and running. Given this situation, the company is looking for alternative engine suppliers among Toyota plants in other countries, with the aim of resuming vehicle production at the Sorocaba (SP) and Indaiatuba (SP) plants,” the automaker said in a statement.

With the suspension, the company was in talks with workers. The proposal is for a temporary suspension of employment contracts (layoffs). In such cases, workers are not required to work and do not receive their full salary. However, their employment relationship is maintained.

Workers at the Sorocaba (SP) plant will decide in a virtual assembly starting Friday whether to accept the layoff proposal put forward by the company. Employees will have until Sept. 28 to discuss the proposal.

The Union of Workers in the Metal, Mechanical, Electrical, and Electronic Materials, Steel, Foundry, Automotive, Auto Parts, and Aerospace Industries of Itu, Porto Feliz, Boituva, and Cabreúva said in a statement that the company had pledged to maintain the jobs of all workers in Porto Feliz, including benefits already negotiated.

Asked about the proposal, Toyota responded that “the proposals will be presented starting today, for voting in the coming days, and once approved, they will be applied on an emergency basis.” (Source: Agencia Brasil)