GM Offers Buyouts

General Motors is offering buyouts to skilled trades workers across 13 plants, reports Automotive News. The offer, the first hourly buyout programme since the company exited bankruptcy, expires 1 March 2011. The programme would provide eligible workers with US$60,000 to retire or leave the company.

The eligible plants are as follows: Grand Rapids Stamping, Livonia Powertrain, Mansfield Stamping, Willow Run Powertrain, Flint North Powertrain, Doraville Assembly, Shreveport Assembly, Wilmington Assembly, Spring Hill, Janesville, Pontiac Stamping, Grand Blanc Weld Tool Center and Orion Township.

GM employs around 53,000 skilled trades and production workers in the US. Spokeswoman Kim Carpenter explained that the company has  “a few thousand” more than are needed.