By Emre Peker
ISTANBUL--Ford Motor Co.'s (F) Turkish joint-venture has halted
production at a factory as a two-week labor dispute continues to
disrupt manufacturing at major Western auto companies.
"Labor actions started today at noon time at our Eskişehir İnönü
plant and blue-collar workers have not left the plant. As a
precautionary measure, manufacturing operations at our İnönü Plant
have been temporarily suspended until further notice," local
venture Ford Otomotiv Sanayi AS (FROTO.IS) said late Monday in a
statement to the stock exchange.
The news comes after Tofas Turk Otomobil Fabrikasi AS
(TOASO.IS), manufacturer of Fiat, Citroën, Peugeot, Opel and
Vauxhall vehicles, said on Friday it has resumed production after a
week of suspensions caused by strikes.
The protests, which have also hit other plants in Bursa, the
production center for Turkey's auto manufacturing business, began
at Renault SA's (RNO.FR) biggest plant outside Western Europe when
workers on the first shift Friday May 15 downed tools and demanded
higher wages.
-Write to Emre Peker at emre.peker@wsj.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires