Gm May Sell Portion Of Parts Operation

General Motors Corp. said Thursday it might sell some of its parts operation, covering 11,300 employees, to make it more profitable.

The No. 1 automaker wants to sell Delphi units that make seats, coil springs and exterior lamps so it can focus on high-profit businesses such as making cockpits, air bags and door modules.

“We want our future product portfolio to line up with our competitive strengths,” said Rodney O’Neal, vice president and general manager of Delphi Interior & Lighting.

The fate of employees would be negotiated with buyers, said Karen Hulsey, a Delphi spokeswoman.

Roughly 6,000 of the employees that could be affected are in the United States. About 4,900 of them are covered under the United Auto Workers national contract, which means they are eligible for 95 percent of their base pay and reassignment if they are laid off.