国际英语新闻：GM to increase production to meet demand for cars

CHICAGO, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- The major U.S automaker General Motors Co. is rehiring 2,400 workers at some plants to increase production to meet demand for some of its new vehicles and better utilize factories, the automaker said Tuesday.

    The moves come as GM is preparing to close several assembly plants as part of a broad restructuring that will consolidate production of some vehicles made at more than one plant.

    When GM filed bankruptcy earlier this summer, it announced it was closing or idling 12 plants across the country.

The U.S. flag flies at the Burt GM auto dealer in Denver June 1, 2009

    Today's moves shed more light on how GM is reconfiguring its blue-collar work force and adjusting to increased demand for some of its new models.

    "Today's actions enable GM to add production shifts and maximize the utilization of several of our plants," Tim Lee, GM's vice president of manufacturing and labor relations told Detroit News.

    The moves will let GM boost production by about 1 million cars and trucks next year, a 40 percent increase to 2.8 million vehicles.

    It is latest production adjustment made since GM emerged from bankruptcy court July 10 with 50 billion U.S. dollars in federal aid and after shedding billions in debt, brands, factories and workers.