Pilkington To Revamp

Pilkington plc has announced that it intends to restructure its global glassmaking operations, which will include the slashing of 1,900 jobs. Pilkington said that a sluggish European construction market and the recent strike at North American plants of General Motors Corp. played a role in the decision; as a major supplier to GM, the company's LOF unit had to temporarily lay off 1,000 workers. The company indicated that the revamping will include its automotive glass plants in the US and its building products business in Germany. Pilkington expects a one-time charge of £155m ($236m) to cover the job cuts and an £85m asset write-off.