GM said the next generation of its mass-market European small car, the Astra, is to be built starting 2010 at four factories: Bochum in Germany, Gliwice in Poland, Ellesmere Port in England and Trollhattan in Sweden.
The automotive plant in Antwerp, Belgium, which produces some current Astra models, will lose around 1,400 jobs as a result of the decision, GM's European boss Carl-Peter Forster said after talks with labor leaders in Brussels.
Forster said GM Europe needed to remain focused on productivity and efficiency in order to ensure it stays competitive in what he called a very demanding industry.
<b style="">Modernizing Astra production
