If Renault agrees a deal with the unions, the plan would be open for three years to certain employees, a spokeswoman said. They would be able to stop working before the legal retirement age of 60 under a company-funded scheme, she said. The scheme would also allow Renault to offset weaker levels of activity in parts of its business as the end of France's car scrappage scheme approaches. Unions gave the plan a cool reception. The militant CGT union said in a statement that new hires would not be made to offset the number of workers that leave under the plan.
French carmaker Renault (RENA.PA) unveiled a plan on Tuesday to allow 3,000 workers in France to retire early, providing further evidence of tough times in the European auto sector.
