Employees at Navistar's Chatham, Ontario plant were hit with more bad news Wednesday as the world's third-largest truck maker said it may lay off up to 500 more workers, approximately one-third of the plant's workforce, Bloomberg reported.
Navistar had announced Tuesday it would lay off 1,100 white-collar workers in upcoming weeks. Workers, however, could be called back if business improves, the article said.
Business has not been kind to Navistar and its competitors, as seen by Freightliner announcing Tuesday 3,745 layoffs and earlier cut backs enacted by Paccar Inc. and Western Star.
Production of heavy-duty trucks in North America has slipped from the record 316,000 units in 1999 to an annual pace of 270,000 units, Bloomberg reported. The slow down is attributed mostly to high fuel prices and other rising costs that are forcing trucking companies to cut back on new truck orders.
