VW’s Skoda to extend holiday break until Jan. 10, unions say

A logo is seen on a wheel of a Skoda Octavia car after a presentation of the company’s annual results in Mlada Boleslav March 20, 2013. REUTERS/David W Cerny/File Photo

PRAGUE, Dec 16 (Reuters) – Volkswagen’s Skoda Auto will extend its Christmas break until Jan. 10, unions at the largest Czech carmaker said on Thursday, as the automotive sector struggles with parts deliveries disruptions.

Supply bottlenecks for chips have been dampening the car industry across the globe. The shortages again dragged heavily on Czech industrial output in October, leading to a weak start to the fourth quarter.

The break will start on Dec. 23 at Skoda, but only part of it will be counted as a holiday for the workers. They will get compensation for the other part amounting to 80% of their wages because production will halt due to the company’s troubles, the unions said in their weekly bulletin.

Skoda said at the beginning of December it was producing at around 75-80% of capacity.

Reporting by Robert Muller
Editing by Mark Potter

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