Restructuring and Other Initiatives

We have executed various restructuring and other initiatives and we plan to execute additional initiatives in the future, if necessary, to align manufacturing capacity and other costs with prevailing global automotive production and to improve the utilization of remaining facilities. To the extent these programs involve voluntary separations, no liabilities are generally recorded until offers to employees are accepted. If employees are involuntarily terminated, a liability is generally recorded at the communication date. Related charges are recorded in Automotive cost of sales and Automotive selling, general and administrative expense. The following table summarizes the reserves and charges related to restructuring and other initiatives, including postemployment benefit reserves and charges:



	Years Ended December 31,
	2016			2015			2014
Balance at beginning of period	$	581		$	1,378		$	1,349
Additions, interest accretion and other	456			566			1,013
Payments	(649		)	(883		)	(862		)
Revisions to estimates and effect of foreign currency	(38		)	(480		)	(122		)
Balance at end of period(a)	$	350		$	581		$	1,378

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(a)	Included temporary layoff benefits of $354 million at December 31, 2014 for GMNA.

In the year ended December 31, 2016 restructuring and other initiatives related primarily to charges of $240 million at GMNA related to the cash severance incentive program to qualified U.S. hourly employees under our 2015 labor agreement with the UAW, and separation and other programs in Australia, Korea and India and the withdrawal of the Chevrolet brand from Europe which had costs of $110 million, a total cost since inception in 2013 of $805 million and affected a total of approximately 4,510 employees in GMIO through December 31, 2016. We expect to complete these previously announced programs in GMIO in 2017 and incur additional restructuring and other charges related to these programs of approximately $65 million.

In the year ended December 31, 2015 restructuring and other initiatives related primarily to the reversal of the U.S. Supplemental Unemployment Benefit Plan accrual for temporary layoff benefits of $317 million resulting from a plan amendment in the 2015 UAW Agreement at GMNA and the separation and other programs in Australia, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and India and the withdrawal of the Chevrolet brand from Europe which had costs incurred of $208 million, a total cost since inception of $722 million and affected a total of approximately 5,490 employees in GMIO through December 31, 2015.

In the year ended December 31, 2014 restructuring and other initiatives related primarily to the termination of all vehicle and transmission production at our Bochum, Germany facility completed in December 2014 which had costs incurred of $620 million and a total cost since inception of $841 million at GME through December 31, 2014 and the separation programs in Australia and Korea, the withdrawal of the Chevrolet brand from Europe and the cessation of manufacturing in Australia which had costs incurred of $193 million and a total cost since inception of $514 million at GMIO through December 31, 2014.

Exit of Russia In March 2015 we announced plans to exit Russia and ceased manufacturing, eliminated Opel brand distribution and reduced Chevrolet brand distribution in the year ended December 31, 2015. This decision impacted 300 dealers and distributors and 1,130 employees. As a result we recorded pre-tax charges of $443 million at GME and GMIO through December 31, 2015, net of noncontrolling interests of $56 million.