Volvo Cars will restart production in its factories in Torslanda, Sweden and Ghent, Belgium on Monday 20 April 2020. They had been stopped earlier because of the coronavirus crisis.
Volvo Cars made the decision after intensive consultation with relevant unions. In addition to the factory employees, the office workers also get back to work in Torslanda. In recent weeks, both the factory and the offices have been prepared for a new way of working that protects the health of all employees as much as possible.
Volvo Cars is in constant dialogue with suppliers and other partners in order to ensure continuous production and further limit supply chain disruptions, which are caused by the coronavirus crisis. The production volume of the Torslanda plant is adapted to market demand and existing orders.
“As the situation allows, we have a responsibility to our employees and suppliers to resume our operations as much as possible,” said Håkan Samuelsson, CEO at Volvo Cars. “The best thing we can do now to help society is to safely restart our business. In this way we protect people’s health and their jobs.”
All facilities of the factory and the offices in Torslanda have been intensively cleaned. Cleaning routines, including those related to sanitary facilities, have been tightened. At the main entrances, the temperature of the employees and the amount of oxygen in the blood are measured on a voluntary basis.
Company officials have reviewed each part of the Torslanda plant from the point of view of health and safety in recent weeks. Other protection measures have been taken where social distancing is not possible.
Volvo Cars has adapted all meeting rooms, offices and restaurants so that ‘social distancing’ is not an issue. For example, by limiting the number of people allowed in meeting rooms and restaurants and relocating desks.
The factory in Ghent, Belgium will also be reopened on Monday April 20, 2020, or with reduced production. Work is also expected to resume at the U.S. plant in South Carolina on Monday, May 11, 2020.
The engine plant in Skövde, Sweden and the bodywork production facility in Olofström, Sweden will plan production weekly and adjust it to meet demand from the other Volvo plants.
Office workers in other countries will continue to follow the guidelines in force here, but Volvo Cars’ health and safety officials hope that the measures in Sweden can eventually be applied here as well.
Volvo Cars continues to use the Swedish government’s support package, which was introduced earlier this year and includes a working time reduction for most employees. Thanks to this government support, Volvo Cars can protect its healthy business operations until better times come.
