Poland: The management board of a repair plant belonging to the US railcar manufacturing holding has announced its closure, resulting in the dismissal of 161 people late in October.
According to TuOława, the decision was made without prior consultation with the workforce. At the same time, the company says that the plant’s trade unions and the District Labour Office in Oława have already been informed of the restructuring plans
Aleksandra Bujak, Human Resources Director at Greenbrier Poland, said to TuOława that the reason for this decision was the deteriorating market situation in Europe, the falling number of orders for new railway, and the recent loss of financial liquidity by a key contractor. She did not, however, specify which particular supplier was being referred to.
According to Bujak, Greenbrier’s operations in Poland will be consolidated at the railcar manufacturing plant in Świdnica. Some of the employees dismissed from the Oława site will receive job offers at this facility. The distance between the two plants is over 70 km.
Previously, in April, Greenbrier announced the closure of its railcar manufacturing plant in Arad, Romania, and the dismissal of almost 700 employees. The company attributed the decision to various factors, including rising operational costs in comparison with other plants and logistical constraints due to the plant’s age and its location in the city centre.
