In addition to shutting down the R&D centre in India, roughly 100 staff scientists in research and development positions at its Technical Center in Warren, Michigan will lose their jobs. If they aren’t offered new positions, the affected workers are reported to have 30 days to apply for other posts within GM before the layoffs commence in early June. The Warren Technical Center currently has around 400 employees.
The downsizing is part of CEO Dan Akerson’s moves for the ‘global restructuring’. Research and development work in India will be realigned with other global R&D locations, says The Detroit News.
“These moves will enable the organization to better focus on commercializing customer-focused innovation in a more efficient and cost effective manner,” GM spokesman Dan Flores tells The Detroit News.
About 90 R&D workers in India could also be reassigned into other jobs.
In other news, Dan Akerson is reported to have mentioned in Florida that Mary Barra, GM’s Senior VP Global Product Development could succeed him as the CEO.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if she were [a candidate],” he told a conference in Florida on Tuesday. But he added: “I think there are a good number of candidates,” saying that he would not like narrow down the field at this stage.
Ms Barra, whose father worked for GM, is said to have started work at GM as an 18-year-old student to help pay her tuition fees. She trained as an electrical engineer and has an MBA from Stanford University. She is now tasked with overseeing and increasing the efficiency of the global design and production of GM’s cars.
Sources: autoblog, The Detroit News, The Telegraph