According to Fausto Dionísio, the company confirmed the start of activity in the bodywork and painting sections and the start of the car assembly” on 6 September.

The resumption of work activity at the Volkswagen plant had been announced last week by an official company source.

The same source added that Autoeuropa will resort to a "support programme for economic activity, guaranteeing the payment of remuneration" and that a "supplement will be given to guarantee the individual income of each employee of the company".

Autoeuropa, with more than 5,200 employees, 98 percent of whom are permanently employed, produced in 2020 a total of 192,000 cars and 20 million parts for other factories of the German group, which represent 1.4 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 4.7 percent of Portuguese exports.