Renault has decided to cut production at its factory in Douai, northern France, in response to the worsening European sales outlook.
The French carmaker said last week it would also shut a factory in Sandouville, France, for seven days in September on top of a four-week closure in August.
In Douai, Renault has negotiated with unions at least 20 days of shutdown in the July-November period to counter declining demand for cars based on its Megane platform.
Renault produced 268,090 Scenic medium minivans and just more than 40,000 lower-medium Megane cars during 2007 at the Douai site, which employs 5,400 workers.
The company will present a radically restyled version of the Megane during the Paris auto show in early October.
Company sources say anticipation of the new Megane models has slowed sales for the existing versions.
The continuing slowdown in key European markets such as Italy and Spain, where Renault's Megane line has strong market shares, also contributed to weak demand for cars produced at Douai.
The Douai site was initially slated to close from late-July to late-August, for four weeks of annual maintenance.
Weak demand for the Megane and Scenic led management to negotiate a series of three-day weekends with workers in July, September, and October, a company spokesman said.
Renault will also close the Douai site from October 22 to November 12, to coincide with the French autumn school vacation and two national holidays, on November 1 and 11.
Word of the Douai slowdown comes just days after Renault announced that it would shut its factory in Sandouville, northern France, for seven days in September, on top of a planned four-week closure in August.
The Sandouville shutdown is directly linked to poor sales of Renault's upper-medium Laguna.
The French carmaker may also suspend Laguna production for at least three days in October, company sources say.
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