General Motors Corp said it is closingtwo plants for brief periods in March, placing 5,500 on
temporary layoff for up to two weeks.
    The company said its Hamtramck Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac
assembly plant in Detroit will be down from March 9 to March 16
due to excess inventory of several models, placing 2,000
workers on temporary layoff.
    Its Chevrolet-Pontiac-GM of Canada assembly facility in
Norwood, Ohio, will be closed two weeks from March 9 to 23 due
to material shortages, affecting 3,500. There is no change in
the 37,000 hourly workers out of work indefinitely.
 Reuter
