Seat Restarts Production In Spain Following Civil Unrest

Seat has resumed production yesterday after the Spanish automaker chose to halt output last week due to civil unrest in Barcelona.

A company spokesman told Autonews Europe that five production shifts had to be suspended, resulting in roughly 3,500 cars not getting built. The spokesman then added that the automaker will make up the lost output in the coming weeks.

Production was stopped from Thursday until Friday night last week due to demonstrations on the streets of Barcelona, protesting the jailing of Catalan separatist leaders. By stopping production, Seat avoided possible supply disruptions, as well as any issues workers may have had in reaching the Martorell plant.

While the company’s offices in Martorell were kept open, white collar workers were given the option of working from home.

As per Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, Nissan chose not to halt production at its Barcelona plant, arguing that their location was less affected by the demonstrations.

Also read: Seat Ready To Reinvent Itself, Could Be Rebranded As Cupra, Launch In North America

Seat choosing to play it safe comes as no surprise, given the high tensions in the area. On Friday, hundreds of demonstrators fought with police forces in Barcelona, while students boycotted classes, flights were canceled and local transport services ran reduced schedules.

For those who don’t know, Catalonia is an autonomous region in northeastern Spain, self-designated as a nationality and consisting of four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona. Roughly 7.5 million people live there, who speak their own language, have their own parliament and flag.