Italy's Fiat cutting jobs in Poland

Italian automaker Fiat Group announced plans to cut 1,500 jobs in its Polish division but did not announce a timetable for the layoffs. In a statement, Fiat said the job losses were the result of poor sales and a negative sales outlook for Eastern Europe, the Italian ANSA news agency reported. "Fiat Auto Poland has expressed to union organizations its willingness to begin immediate negotiations in order to find compatible solutions for the management of the surplus workforce," Fiat Auto Poland said. Production at the division fell under 350,000 vehicles this year compared to more than 600,000 in 2009 and the automaker cut the number of daily shifts from three to two.