Scania is increasing its production and some of its units which are currently on a four day week will go back to a five day week in April.
Anders Nielsen, executive vice president, production and logistics, said: “There is a need to increase production mainly because demand remains very high in Brazil, but some recovery is also occurring in Europe. By efficiently utilising our global production structure, we are boosting our manufacturing rate in Europe so that we can supply South American production units with components.”
The resumption of the five-day week at production units applies primarily to April. Scania needs to increase the rate of component manufacturing for South America. However, other units will continue on a four day week including final assembly of trucks in Södertälje and cab assembly in Oskarshamn, which account for nearly 2,000 of Scania’s workshop employees in Sweden.
“I am not, however, ruling out that additional production rate increases may lead to a resumption of the five-day week at these units as well, if the positive demand trend continues, though it should be noted that the level of demand is substantially lower than during the record-breaking years 2007 and 2008,” Mr Nielsen says.
Scania has applied a four-day week since June 2009 for all employees in Sweden. Various forms of working week reductions have also been in effect for more than 2,000 employees in the Netherlands, France, Germany and elsewhere.
