Auto-making partners Toyota and Peugeot-Citroen are recruiting workers for their new Czech Republic factory from cities more than 200 kilometers away, a report said Tuesday. The search for labour has expanded far beyond the plant's hometown Kolin, 40 kilometers east of Prague, as the launch deadline of March 2005 approaches, said the Pravo newspaper. The 50 billion koruna (2 billion dollar) factory is the largest foreign investment in the Czech Republic and will need about 3,000 workers. But so far only 1,650 workers have been hired, Pravo said, prompting company recruiters to hunt job-seekers in eastern cities with high unemployment such as Ostrava and Frydek-Mistek. The company is offering a monthly salary of 17,100 koruna (712 dollars) to start as well as moving and housing assistance. The Japanese-French operation called Toyota Peugeot Citroen Automobile (TPCA) plans to build about 300,000 small cars annually once full production is under way next fall.
