Siemens Reducing Working Hours for Nearly 3,000 Workers

Siemens said on Feb. 13 it was cutting the working hours of a further 2,800 workers as the Munich-based firm's difficulties show no sign of abating. The company, which employs a total of 131,000 people in Germany, said 7,400 employees would be on shorter hours until April. Previously, only 4,600 workers had been affected.

Siemens said that the measures would safeguard jobs during what is expected to be Germany's worst recession in six decades.

The firm said in January that orders in the three months to December 2008 dropped 8%, although it also reported a 7% increase in sales over the same period.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2009