Saab may been been saved from an untimely death by Spyker, but sales have yet to rebound. According toReuters, union representative Hakan Skott says the poor sales mean Saab will cut its workforce by 200 jobs, bringing overall employment at its Trollhättan complex from about 1,600 to 1,400.
Skott claims this is no surprise, given that Saab’s sales forecast was revised downward from 45,000 units to between 30,000 and 35,000 for all of 2010.
Cutting nearly 15 percent of all factory jobs is a serious issue, but Skott feels (hopes?) sales will pick up in February or March.
Saab didn’t comment on the report, though Spyker CEO Victor Muller reportedly toldDagens Industri that there was “no reason to worry,” adding that Saab still intends to build 80,000 vehicles in 2011. Muller added that temporary workers are the ones receiving pink slips.