英语新闻－GM chairman to leave US car maker

（单词翻译:单击）

The chief executive of struggling US car company General Motors - Rick Wagoner - has agreed to step down.

He will leave his post immediately at the request of the White House, a government official confirmed.
The news comes as President Barack Obama prepares to announce plans to help GM and fellow car giant, Chrysler.
The two firms have already received $17.4bn (£14.4bn) in bail-outs. Chrysler has requested a further $5bn while GM says it needs $16.7bn more.
Leaner, meaner
In an interview with US broadcaster CBS, President Obama said the firms must do more to justify¹ further aid, saying "they're not there yet".
"We think we can have a successful US auto² industry," the president said.

GM has seen sales fall sharply in the US

"But it's got to be one that's realistically designed to weather this storm and to emerge - at the other end - much more lean, mean, and competitive than it currently is."
GM plans to axe³ 47,000 jobs and Chrysler 3,000, as well as shedding a number of car models.
The job cuts would take place by the end of 2009 and are the largest work-force reduction announced by a by a US firm in the current downturn.
Mr Wagoner, 56, has headed GM for almost six years, after first joining the company in 1977.
The news comes as France's biggest car maker⁴, Peugeot Citroen, sacked its chairman Christian⁵ Streiff, citing "extraordinary difficulties" in the automotive industry.
Brands halved⁶
In December, GM had said it would cut the number of plants from 47 in 2008 to 38 by 2012, but now plans to close a further five factories, which would leave it with 33 facilities.
The carmaker's brands would also be reduced from eight to four - Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC.
GM and Chrysler received their first bail-outs at the end of last year, warning that without the support they risked financial ruin.
Ford⁷, the third of the "Big Three" US car makers⁸, has yet to require any bailouts, but says it may need funds in the future.
GM, Ford and Chrysler have all seen sales fall sharply in their home market.

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