GM to begin laying off 4,000 workers Monday: report

General Motors will begin laying off 4,000 salaried workers on Monday, according to CNN.

GM said in November that it would eliminate 15 percent of its corporate workers and 25 percent of its executives and close as many as four manufacturing plants in the United States. The layoffs come as the company is trying to reduce costs and expenses by $6 billion before the end of 2020.

“The actions we are taking today continue our transformation to be highly agile, resilient and profitable, while giving us the flexibility to invest in the future,” GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said when the cuts were first announced. “We recognize the need to stay in front of changing market conditions and customer preferences to position our company for long-term success.”

GM said the layoffs announced were not new and were part of the announced November layoffs.

“In these release, we outline plans to reduce salaried headcount by 15%. The salaried reductions reported yesterday are part of that 15% previously announced actions,” a spokesperson said. “We are not confirming the specific timing for when those reductions will occur.” 

Politicians from both sides of the aisle expressed anger over the layoffs when they were announced.

“We are now looking at cutting all @GM subsidies, including … for electric cars,” President Donald Trump tweeted in November, adding that he was “very disappointed.”

“This decision is corporate greed at its worst,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) in a November statement.

Major automakers, including GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler, have made significant cuts to their workforces in the U.S. and in Canada in recent months, citing rising costs due to the Trump administration’s tariffs and long-term declines in sales.

GM said has said regulations on foreign steel and aluminum cost it $1 billion. Trump will deliver a State of the Union address on Tuesday night.