Nissan ME jobs safe, for now

Nissan Middle East insists it has no plans to axe local workers, despite the Japanese carmaker announcing on Monday it will shed 20,000 employees this year.

The automotive company is slashing its workforce worldwide after forecasting $2.9bn losses for 2009. But Monal Zeidan, general manager for marketing and corporate communications at Nissan Middle East claims the 100 employees in this region are safe – for now.

“The Middle East up to the start of the [financial] crisis was one of the fastest growing car markets in the world,” he told Arabian Business on Tuesday. “Job cuts will focus on high-cost countries, as such Middle East operations are not in the scope of this so far.”

Zeidan also said the Middle Eastern operation is expected to hit profit for 2008 when the results for that fiscal year are announced in March.

When asked if Nissan Middle East will introduce cost-cutting measures this year, Zeidan admitted it was up to the carmaker’s chiefs in Japan.

“We will align with our global headquarters on all relevant counter-measure strategies being taken as a result of the global financial crisis,” Zeidan said. He declined to comment on what measures might be introduced.

No drop in production is expected at the company’s plant in Egypt, while Zeidan insisted Nissan will not be cutting car prices in this region.

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