TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Bridgestone Taiwan Co. announced Monday it will shut down its only tire manufacturing plant in Taiwan, laying off 553 employees, both Taiwanese and foreign, in phases as part of a global restructuring plan.
Bridgestone's closure of its Hukou factory in Hsinchu County marks the end of its 44-year operations in Taiwan, per UDN. The company will shift focus to sales and services, with Bridgestone tires sold in Taiwan to be imported going forward.
UDN cited industry sources as saying the Hukou plant’s land and factory buildings may be sold to a technology company after the closure. However, neither Bridgestone nor the rumored buyer has commented on the reports.
Employees gathered outside the Hukou factory early Monday and boarded company-arranged tour buses to attend labor-management negotiations, according to UDN. Notices posted at the factory entrance instructed workers attending the briefing to go directly home afterward and not enter the plant.
The Hsinchu County Government’s Labor Affairs Department confirmed Monday that it received Bridgestone Taiwan’s mass layoff notification last week. The layoffs will occur in three phases this year, UDN reported.
The first round will mainly affect tire production line workers and some office staff. Taiwan Bridgestone’s labor union was informed of the planned closure on May 6, while some employees were reportedly only notified on May 8.
Lu Chao-yun (呂昭昀), head of the labor relations section at the county's Labor Affairs Department, told CNA that Bridgestone's layoffs are scheduled to take effect on July 10. The company informed union leaders of the severance package last week, and it reportedly exceeds legal requirements.
Tang Shao-tang (湯紹堂), director of Hsinchu County's Department of Labor Affairs, told SETN News that Bridgestone had given a 60-day notice as required by law. Tang said that 360 Taiwanese workers and 193 foreign workers will be laid off.
Employees notified of their dismissal on Monday said Bridgestone told them their salaries would continue to be paid through July 11, according to UDN.
