Responding to falling sales, Japanese carmaker Nissan is to temporarily lay off 70 percent of the workers at its plants in Barcelona and Montcada in northeastern Spain.

Just over 2,000 employees will be sent home for up to 40 days on a rotating basis through to the end of the year. Last month Nissan sacked 700 workers at the plants and those who are having their work cut back now are worried. One worker said: “After all we’ve suffered and after seeing how our colleagues were dismissed, all we can do is wait and see what happens.” Another added: “We will earn less than we usually do and for those days when we do not come to work we’ll get unemployment benefit.” At the same time Nissan and Chrysler have abandoned a tie-up under which they would have provided each other with vehicles to fill gaps in their line-ups. The project – which was announced last year – has been dropped because it would conflict with the current alliance between Chrysler and Fiat under which the Italians will provide Chrysler with small car technology.More about: Car industry, Unemployment

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