NedCar assembly plant employees have voted to strike today against Mitsubishi and DaimlerChrysler’s decision to axe the Smart ForFour model, which was announced at then end of March.

Unions warned that further strike action would follow at the Dutch plant in Born, if the strike today did not result in any firm commitments.

MMC said: “We understand the concerns and anxieties of the workforce in the aftermath of DaimlerChrysler´s announcement but NedCar management, social partners and employees must work together to develop and implement a plan to improve NedCar’s cost competitiveness.”

NedCar produced 115,000 cars in 2005, including the Mitsubishi Colt and the Smart Forfour. Production will be reduced to 70/80,000 Colts a year.

In an attempt to calm NedCar nerves, Mitsubishi said it was ‘committed to produce the current Colt range until the end of its normal life-cycle’.