It was previously reported that Proton would not downsize its workforce following its deal with Geely, and its new vice president of manufacturing, Yoshiya Inamori, has echoed this plan.
During a brief interview, the former Mitsubishi man stated there were no plans to reduce the number of staff, even if production volume is low. To meet cost-cutting measures, quality improvements, better suppliers and more efficient processes will be implemented instead.
“The volume is not the issue… If the volume goes up, we hire more people; if the volume comes down, we stop hiring people. The most important thing is the production volume is stable within a year.”
“If production volume fluctuates, some months we need to produce many cars, some are low, then we must keep the number of people for high volume,” he said. In fact, should there be redundant staff, Inamori said he would recommend to Geely to have them undergo training.
“Actually, I’m not planning to reduce the number of people because our volume has been on the low side, and also, with Geely, if I see some people are redundant… If I request, Geely might accept for (people to be trained) at Geely.”
“In Proton, we have many experienced people, 40 years, 50 years age, and young people. But the middle-aged is less, and how to train young people is another task for me. So, if I see some people can go somewhere, I will ask Geely to accept them for training,” he explained.
He added that the number of Proton employees relative to the number of cars sold is still reasonable. According to the latest internal sales data, Proton shifted 5,083 cars; the company has a workforce totalling 9,600 personnel.
Inamori also cited his experience while working in Russia, where he had to reduce the number of employees due to unexpected economic sanction resulting from the Ukranian Crisis in 2014, which reduced the plant’s output volume. He said that for Malaysia, such a move is not necessary.
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For over 15 years, Proton has been losing RM4 million per day. On top of that, Proton has taken about RM20 billion the past 20 years just to keep the company alive.
Use that kind of money, you can build about 20 fully fledged Government hospitals and Government Schools in each state. So, in total about 260 Government hospitals and Government schools.
Isn’t that better? Why keep 12,000 jobs? Why protect them so much until 30 million people suffer?
All of us have been made redundant some time or another. What we do is, we go looking for another job. Simple as that.
I have no idea why Proton workers have been protected so much at the expense of 30 million people suffering.
U mean DRB 50.1% ? DRB in this business past 20 years.
DRB has been around for for more than 30 years, which was made up of ACM among others, USF for Isuzu and Mitsubishi respectively. and later USPD for Proton.
u forget that p1 already paid most of it except the current loan.
Ur logic shld applies to other companies as well not just protong. TeeM = expensive internet, patronas = low grade fuel, other GLCs = money pit, property tycoons= pricey houses, logging companies = environmental disaster, etc. We wld probably better off without these parasites.
The point is not if they should to downsize. The key point is to remove non-performing staff which majority are. Else how Proton end up in this ailing state?
problem with many of Proton long serving employees are they are now between late 40s and 50s. should they receive VSS or retrecnhment scheme, they would not be able to find new jobs at all. even worse when Proton is the only company they had worked for (lacking of experience from various companies)
proton staff join P2, Myvee bezza axia production run 24/7.
If you are in a post for decades and you didn’t learn much from it, you deserve the punishment.
View difficult tasks as challenges to increase our knowledge and experience.
If you are really good, your first lawyer firm or accountant firm or car accessory shop is your batu loncatan.
How do you know majority are non performing? Low sales volume are not the fault of plant workers. These are the fault of sales, marketing & management.
Fish rots from the head. If the management is at fault like you claimed, the entire company also got problem. The product quality, sales figure and the ailing state of the company are the prove.
So easy to give fault…
It’s about the product lah!!!
Make a good product and the battle is half won already. Doesn’t matter how slick the marketing or sales video campaign is if people don’t want the product.
Geely has been tremendous alwiz. Proton staff muz be grateful and dun bite the hand that feeds you.
Mitsubishi in Thailand has 6000 workers. They produce 320,000 cars per annum
Proton has 12,000 workers (double). They produce 60,000 cars per annum
Can the Mitsubihi man explain how his ex company can run so efficently and now his new company must run 10x less??
I am sure this gentleman himself have been to his Mitsubishi factory in Thailand.
Please enlighten us
Mana dtg 12000, kan dah sebut <6000 personnel…
Kasi kawen p2 & p1 lor…
I did a google the past few months. Even 2nd Finance Minister also quoted over 10,000. Every Minister give different figures in answering parliament.
Who to believe? Proton gives one figure, Ministers give another figure, Proton give another figure, this guy give another figure
His plucking figures. No read the article meh.. difference name, same people.
U tak tau baca kah? Dah cakap 9,600 work force. Ini tai masuk pentakbiran dan rnd. Buta huruf
9,600 ≠ 12,000
tarak bacakah?
Sejumlah 60,000 work force under P1 + Tier1 to Tier3 vendor/supplier mmg correct.
Vendor ≠ P1
Most vendors for P1 oso supplies P2. So how to know which vendor worker solely works only on P1 parts or P2 parts? Can enlighten me?
I think 12000 is official figure quoted by a few ministers in answering parliament recently. So which is true now? Did our Ministers make a mistake with their figures or is Proton giving different figures all the time??
12000 or 9600??
Got another report also say got 20,000 pulak….which is true?
apa pulak <6000.. 9600 total workforce. am i missing something? dua2 salah
He mentioned they won’t downsize (reduce workforce quantity), but he didn’t say anything about replacement of the workforce. You can still maintain the workforce quantity and yet increase productivity by replacing the under-performing workers with more productive ones.
Kasi tutup proton. Malaysia no need proton anymore. Close proton, malaysia still have perodua. Proton turn back to rebadge model from geely. Perodua now can design their own car. Even daihatsu will rebadge it for asean market. No reason to save proton right now..
you are right..its not the workers issues ..perodua workers are malaysian too.. its attitude and culture in proton that kill proton.. now look like even the foreign expert also succumbs to proton culture and attitud and giving unconvincing answers reflecting the protin mentality
Setuju
Abdul Kadir easy talk easy say and easy assume from you
proton is like disease..should be terminated.. an example of business failure..still want to keep it by 51% and want to be bossy despite has new lifeline given by a much more successful partner..now look like geely is infected with proton virus.. whoever work with proton has to bow down to the 51% boss and look and sound stupid.. please geely , firm up yourself..