Ailing French carmaker Renault said Tuesday it would cut its staff in France by 7,500 workers by 2016. The company will shed 5,700 jobs through natural attrition, with the balance coming from the extension of an early retirement programme subject to agreement with unions, a spokesman said. "If an agreement is signed with unions, this staff redeployment would require neither a plant closure or a voluntary redundancy programme," said Gerard Leclercq, head of Renault's French operations. Renault's current workforce in France stands at 44,642, making the job cuts announced on Tuesday equivalent to a 17 percent reduction in staff numbers. Source: AFP