General Motors working 'rapidly and decisively' to solve European woes Under an agreement with German unions, no GM plants can be closed in Europe before 2014. However Wolfgang Schaefer-Klug, chief of the German labour council, conceded that GM Europe needs to be put on a "sustainable business foundation." GM cut more than 9,000 jobs in Europe in 2009, but Mr Ammann said these proposals were built on "a more robust economic environment than the one we do have." He added: "Our fundamental strategy is to break even at the bottom of the cycle." The American car maker restructured in the US through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009. It has lost money in Europe for a decade but targeted breaking even in 2011. Instead, GM's European operations, which include Opel and Vauxhall, lost $747m, including $562m in the final quarter . The loss marked an improvement from the $2bn deficit in 2010. However, it still overshadowed a year of record global profits for GM. Profits surged to $9.19bn from $6.17bn as American drivers bought cars in the largest numbers since the financial crisis.