Toyota-PSA Czech Plant Adds Workers as Demand Grows

VIENNA – Toyota Peugeot Citroen Automobile Czech, the Toyota-PSA joint-venture plant based in Kolin, Czech Republic, hires workers amid higher demand.

The JV, which manufactures the Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 107 and Citroen C1 minicars, had to cut one-third of its 12 weekly 10.5-hour shifts a year ago. Hundreds of temporary workers and staff with fixed-contract terms were dismissed or opted for voluntary departure.

Now TPCA wants to hire 350 temporary workers by July to increase assembly-line speed this summer.

“Thanks to that the production volume in 2013 will increase by some thousands (of cars) compared to the original plan,” a TPCA spokesman tells Czech media, without providing a specific number.

The JV manufactured 214,915 cars last year, down 20.6% from 2011. The result was the auto maker’s lowest full-year output since the plant launched production in 2005. Production peaked in 2009 at 332,489 units.

More than 95% of TPCA’s 2012 output was destined for European countries. The largest market was the U.K. with 22%, followed by France (15%), the Netherlands (15%), Italy (10%) and Germany (10%).

TPCA vehicles are shipped to 50 countries, including markets in South America, Africa and Asia. The major export destinations outside the European Union are South Africa and Israel, followed by Russia and Ukraine.