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Honda Swindon plant jobs cut in shift changes | Honda Swindon plant jobs cut in shift changes |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Carmaker Honda is planning to cut production at its Swindon factory, with 500 jobs under threat. | |
Workers were told on Monday that car plant two would be closing with the loss of 340 jobs, along with up to 160 temporary positions. | |
The Japanese carmaker, which opened in Swindon in 1992, made 38 compulsory and 554 voluntary redundancies last year. | The Japanese carmaker, which opened in Swindon in 1992, made 38 compulsory and 554 voluntary redundancies last year. |
Ian Howells, from Honda, said: "Over the last 12 months, we haven't seen the growth we'd anticipated." | Ian Howells, from Honda, said: "Over the last 12 months, we haven't seen the growth we'd anticipated." |
The cuts come as the plant changed from three shifts a day to two. | |
About 3,000 workers are based at the South Marston plant, building the Civic, Jazz and CR-V for the UK and European markets. | About 3,000 workers are based at the South Marston plant, building the Civic, Jazz and CR-V for the UK and European markets. |
'Too many cars' | |
But Mr Howells, senior vice president of Honda Motor Europe, said with "no increase forecast" for the next couple of years, the company must "scale our manufacturing activity accordingly". | |
"We've looked very closely at alternatives but we're faced with a market which at best is growing very, very slowly and we're just producing too many cars at the moment for that demand," he said. | |
"It's been a very difficult decision to take but we're starting with a release programme that is voluntary and if that does not progress in the way we hope we may be looking at statutory or compulsory redundancies." | |
According to Mr Howells, 340 "permanent associates" will go over the next two to three months along with a number of temporary staff, who were already "phased to be fully released by the end of the year". | |
'Very sad news' | 'Very sad news' |
Unite union spokesman, Jim D'Avila, said it was a "blow" that would be "very, very deeply felt". | |
"It's very sad news," he said. | |
"We were able, 18 months ago, to deal with those surpluses with just a minimum of compulsory redundancies but the likelihood is we won't be able to achieve that this time round." | |
As well as cutting shifts, Honda is also planning to move production to one line in an attempt to "improve production flexibility and efficiency". | As well as cutting shifts, Honda is also planning to move production to one line in an attempt to "improve production flexibility and efficiency". |
The company said it will be entering into consultation on the proposed job cuts. |