Auto News Roundup: Ford Motor Company (F)’s Boost in Europe, Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA) Hits a Higher Gear, and General Motors Company (GM)’s Latest Union Brawl

Ford is also getting a lift from overseas operations: The company’s sales in China were up 47% in the first half of 2013, as a major expansion effort continues to deliver promising results. And as I noted, there are more and more encouraging signs from Europe, where Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) is pushing to end losses.

General Motors’ latest union battle
This time, General Motors Company (NYSE:GM)’s fight isn’t with its longtime nemesis, the United Auto Workers — Detroit’s relationship with the UAW is actually on pretty good terms these days. The automaker’s latest labor battle is taking place in South Korea, where GM has a major manufacturing presence that builds hundreds of thousands of vehicles a year, mostly for export to markets around the world.

Workers at General Motors Company (NYSE:GM)’s South Korean plants have been staging partial walkouts since July 4, the union’s latest move in a contract negotiation that has become increasingly heated. General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) executives have said they would like to build a more “collaborative” relationship with South Korean labor leaders, but the union is a combative one and negotiations haven’t gone well.

To be fair, moves like this aren’t helping: General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) announced this week that production of the Opel Mokka, a small SUV and close relative of the Buick Encore that has become a surprise hit in Europe, will be moved from South Korea to Spain.

Opel Mokka. Photo credit: General Motors.

The move makes sense for General Motors Company (NYSE:GM), which is struggling to keep its factories busy in recession-ravaged Europe, but it adds fuel to the fire in South Korea — where union leaders have been blunt about concerns that GM might pack up and leave altogether.

The article Auto News Roundup: Ford’s Boost in Europe, Tesla Hits a Higher Gear, and GM’s Latest Union Brawl originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by John Rosevear.

Fool contributor John Rosevear owns shares of Ford and General Motors. Follow him on Twitter at @jrosevear. The Motley Fool recommends Ford, General Motors, and Tesla Motors and owns shares of Ford and Tesla Motors.

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