In the next wave nobody knows what it will remain

Shrink machine accelerates at GM. Before his release in bankruptcy, the former world number one of the car had already sacrificed much ballast and the movement is far from finished. Since 2006, the Group has already succeeded in convincing 60,000 of its America's workers to abandon their work, or half of its population of "blue-collar", to try to adapt to the decline of its market share. Therefore, at the end of 2008, the Group had more than 61.000 workers. The last wave (from January to April 2009), in which 7,000 employees have agreed to make their cases, is barely passed that already the seat of Detroit prepares new salute, among the "survivors". His goal: not to count than 40,000 workers at its U.S. plants by 2010, to close down in parallel 16 additional production sites.

An earthquake in the world of the American work that nothing can conceal in the cradle of the century-old group. Bankruptcy may instead reinforce the resentment of the workers of Michigan, well hard to find now an another "job" from another employer. And those who have not accepted the first incentives are soon likely to bite the fingers: here a year, a party of the workers had been offering an astounding $ 62 for early retirement, with all rights.

Huge industrial wastelands

The offer has melted this year to us $ 20,000, most good for the purchase of 25,000 dollars on a GM vehicle, tells the New York Times". In the next wave, nobody knows what it will remain. Similarly, the 522.000 retired from the group, despite their long-standing service, should bear the costs of the passage under the Bankruptcy Act, which should lead to a questioning of some of their benefits.

In terms of industrial, GM decline began well before the withdrawal of the North American automobile market, in 2004-2005. Evidenced huge brownfield sites in the region of Michigan, such as "buick city": a massive complex of 951.000 square metres, near Flint, that GM was closed in 1999 and was demolished in 2002. Inaugurated in 1904 before even the birth of GM, this site who manufactured Buick and Pontiac models used to 77.000 employees at the end of the 1970s, then 28,000 in the 1980s. Today, only 450 workers assemble parts of engines in trying, anxious to reach their retirement.

In commercial terms, placement under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Act may also have devastating effects. Customers will most likely prefer to order a vehicle from the perennial brands, including the network of dealers remains intact, as Ford or Toyota. Therefore, GM, whose share of market in the United States has already melted by 10 points in ten years, has not finished its descent to the underworld. Toyota should the tailgate this year, with a market share of 17.6 against 17.9 for GM, predicted the Institute studies IHS Global Insight. Prior to delight the first place from 2010, in a US market still in deep lethargy.

Another source, in terms of production, announced: this time it's Ford to humiliate GM by becoming the first manufacturer in the us this year, according to IHS and the Standard & Poor's rating agency. Ford even logically should assemble more cars than GM, for the first time in its history, in the second quarter. A movement which will be favoured by the temporary (up to nine weeks) closure of many factories of GM. Throughout the year, the Group would thus deliver 1.7 million vehicles, about half of the level of last year, while Ford could cheaply 1.9 million over the same period, down "only" 18 over 2008, according to IHS.