Ford UK to cut 850 jobs
February 6, 2009 by Matt Brogan
Ford is cutting 850 jobs in the UK and delaying the launch of its new Transit in an attempt to save cash during the deepening economic crisis.
The company said it would cut up to 500 jobs at its production plant in Southampton, which builds the current Transit, and a further 350 jobs across other UK sites between now and May.
Ford employs a total of 12,900 people in the UK alone and has also set plans to cut roughly 350 casual jobs at the Dunton Technical Centre in Essex, where design work is carried out on the new Transit. The Transit was due launch in 2011 but has been postponed to an unspecified date.
“As demand across the industry continues to fall, we are facing some immediate and major challenges which require us to take decisive action to reduce all our costs,” said John Fleming, Ford of Europe chairman. Those companies which act quickly in taking the right decisions will be those who not only survive but who emerge strongest from this deep recession.”
Ford workers threatened to strike over the plan.
Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of the Unite trade union, said “These proposals are completely unacceptable and a betrayal of Ford’s loyal U.K. workforce.”
Ford of Europe spokesman Tom Malcolm said the company is discussing cost reductions at its other European sites but had made no decisions.
Print it: 
Rest assured that Ford, Honda & Nissan will not be the only ones to lay people off in the UK.
The other question I have, if someone could explain the thought process behind the union. Is it not better to sort through the voluntry redundencies & less valued workforce for lay offs, but keep the factory open and the majority employed? Perhaps the unions would rather the Honda solution of just shutting the factory for 6 months?
Frontman, Honda is in fact shutting the Swindon factory for 4 months, not 6, and the staff will be getting most of their pay during the shutdown in return for ‘banking’ some hours to be worked as overtime when the plant reopens. Is this not better than kicking them out the door permanently?
Closed in December for Xmas…. was to re-open in Jan now (last report) opening May-June. [if the markets bouys]
threats of a strike???
thats a laugh
to stop any proposed strike all ford needs to say is first one out there holding up a picket, is the first one not allowed back ha ha ha
“If you fire me im gonna strike” ha ha ha
which union brain surgeon came up with that one???
haha AndrewM, I laughed at that bit too, gives Ford more ammunition to drop more people…
Obviosly the brain surgeons have no idea what the GFC is…