FRANKFURT, GERMANY (AP) - Daimler AG said Thursday it is considering cutting working hours at some of its car production plants in Germany as the economic gloom pushes down sales.
The company said it may scale back hours at Mercedes-Benz car manufacturing facilities in Sindelfingen, Berlin, Bremen and Duesseldorf. It said company officials have met with employee representatives to talk about the slowdown in sales.
"Talks regarding the locations will be continued, with the goal to have a concrete plan in December," company spokeswoman Marina Krets told The Associated Press.
Any reduction in working hours could come in the period from January through April, she said.
Daimler said it could look at workers’ overtime hours when planning any cuts, which may ease the need to cut pay or personnel.
Daimler, like other carmakers, has seen sales slump as a result of the global economic slowdown.
Earlier this month, the Stuttgart-based company said global sales in October fell 18 percent, led by falls in the U.S., western Europe and Japan.
Shares of Daimler were up 5.3 percent at euro26 (US$33.73) in Frankfurt trading.
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