AvtoVAZ to resume operation after New Year vacation

SAMARA, January 11 (Itar-Tass) -- AvtoVAZ and the joint venture
GM-AvtoVAZ in Togliatti will resume operation after the New Year vacation
on Monday, the press centers of the motor works told Itar-Tass.
The assembly lines of the motor works have not operated since the end
of December.
During the vacation AvtoVAZ launched the refurbishment of the
production line for future joint projects with the Renault-Nissan alliance
and carried out more than 12,000 types of various operations for the
maintenance and upgrading of the equipment.
In January AvtoVAZ will operate under a new schedule, which was caused
by the fact that the first assembly line had been halted for the profound
modernization. In this respect, the Lada-Samara production was shifted to
the second production line, where Lada 2105/2107 are assembled.
Under the approved schedule cars of these series will be produced five
days a week with two 8-hours shifts a day in January.
The Lada Priora cars will be assembled four days a week in two shifts
a day. The assembly lines of the Lada Kalina and the Lada 4x4 will operate
five days a week.
For the personnel the payment for the working time below the norm
specified in the schedule of shift work will be calculated as the time of
idleness in two-thirds of the average salary. This working schedule is
caused by the need to bring the output in compliance with the current
demand, as well as the organizational labour conditions and by the need
for a tough economizing on the costs, the AvtoVAZ press center said.
During the vacation GM-AvtoVAZ conducted repairing and maintenance
works, summed up the results of the production and the sales and announced
about higher prices on its cars. The joint venture produced 23,101
Chevrolet Niva jeeps in 2009. The motor works sold 24,300 cars, 729 of
which - in the CIS states for the past year.
As of January 1, 2010, the retail prices on Chevrolet Niva jeeps of
the L basic trim level were increased by 8,000 roubles, LC and GLS trim
levels - by 10,000 roubles and the GLC trim levels - by 11,000 roubles.
So, the price of the foresaid jeeps in the L basic trim level will
reach 420,000 roubles, LC - 449,000 roubles, GLS - 469,000 roubles and GLC
- 497,000 roubles.
"Higher prices on the cars are caused by the inflation, higher prices
on component parts and the improved design, particularly the transition to
the Euro-4 emission standards," the GM-AvtoVAZ press center reported.

-0-baz