ISTANBUL (Reuters) -- Production at the Turkish factories of Renault and Fiat stopped as workers protested wages and other employment conditions.
Production at Renault's plant in Turkey halted at midnight on Thursday. "This halt in output is not in line with employment laws and relevant regulations," a Renault spokesman said. Efforts were underway to resolve the stand-off with the 2,500 protesting workers outside and inside the plant in the northwestern city of Bursa, he said.
Oyak Renault, a joint venture with Turkey's army pension fund Oyak, produced about 318,000 cars last year, according to industry association figures. Dogan News Agency reported that about 400 vehicles are manufactured at the plant in a single shift.
The factory builds the Clio and Symbol subcompacts as well as the Megane and Fluence compacts, according to Automotive News Europe's Guide to European Assembly Plants.
On Friday, workers at Tofas, a joint venture between Fiat and Turkey's Koc Holding, staged a protest, stopping the assembly line, CNN Turk television reported. Some 5,000 people work at Tofas' Bursa plant, the broadcaster said, adding that talks between workers and management were continuing.
Tofas said the stoppage was not expected to have an effect on its sales.
Tofas builds the Fiat Linea, Doblo and Fiorino models along with the Citroen Nemo, Peugeot Bipper and Opel/Vauxhall Combo. It produced 240,000 units in 2013, according to its website
