VOA常速英语2008年-Top US Carmaker Looks to Trim Workforce

By Michael Bowman
Washington
12 February 2008

Amid record losses, the largest U.S. automaker is offering buyouts to tens of thousands of unionized workers. From Washington, VOA's Michael Bowman reports.

Buyouts are a common strategy for companies hoping to trim labor² costs. Typically given to workers with seniority, the idea is to offer a lump sum enticing³ enough for an employee to voluntarily leave the workforce⁴, but that will save the company in salary and other costs over the long term.

American automaker giant General Motors is offering buyouts of up to $27,000 to all hourly wage earners represented by the United Auto¹ Workers union, more than 70,000 workers in all.

GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner says the buyout offer will give employees flexibility⁵ when planning their finances.

"It offers our workers eligible⁶ to retire a broader range of options under which to do so, including things like taking payments and rolling them into a 401K [retirement account]," he said.

It is not known how many workers will take the offer, but GM has a union agreement that will allow the company to replace as many as 16,000 workers with new employees earning about half as much on an hourly basis.

GM reports its losses totaled nearly $39 billion last year, a record sum. Trimming labor costs will not, by itself, return the company to profitability, but it will help, according to Michigan-based auto analyst⁷ Eric Merkle.

"We believe that as they get some of those older, more veteran workers out of the mix, that it should help alleviate⁸ some of that overhead cost structure," he said.

Rick Wagoner admits GM faces further challenges ahead.

"[In] 2008, we want to keep improving our automotive profitability globally," he said.  "That may be a tough assignment, with the U.S. economy apparently⁹ weak for a while."

GM's sales have, on the whole, looked brighter in foreign markets than domestically.  GM, like all U.S. automakers, has lost market share at home to imports from Asia and Europe. Japan-based Toyota recently replaced Ford¹⁰ as the number-two seller of automobiles¹¹ in the United States.

1 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 enticing   

adj.迷人的；诱人的

参考例句：

• The offer was too enticing to refuse. 这提议太有诱惑力，使人难以拒绝。
• Her neck was short but rounded and her arms plump and enticing. 她的脖子短，但浑圆可爱；两臂丰腴，也很动人。

4 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

5 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

6 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

7 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

8 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。

9 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

10 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

11 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》