Ford Bridgend Set To Close

[trainmania100]

Very sad to hear.

Ford will axe its Bridgend factory in September 2020, union sources have confirmed. The Welsh plant, which has been manufacturing engines for 40 years, has been under threat of closure for some time. This is in part due to falling demand for the two engines it produces, as well as low projections for the Dragon engine, which the factory was due to start making this year. At least 1,500 jobs will be immediately affected by the shutdown, along with many more at companies in the supply chain.

Worker Tony Phillips, who has been at the plant for 31 years told Wales Online that he doesn’t know what he is going to do. He said: ‘They said there were not going to be any plant closures. These are well-paid jobs.’ Another worker described the news as a ‘devastating blow for South Wales’, adding that there would be a lot of disappointed people ‘with big mortgages and responsibilities’ . Jeff Beck, regional organiser at trade union GMB, said the factory’s closure is workers’ ‘worst fear confirmed’. He continued: ‘It will mean disaster for both our members in Bridgend and the community at large, who we will stand by the tough thick and thin. The closure has been called a ‘devastating blow for South Wales’ (Picture: Rex Features) ‘The ironic part is in the week that Donald Trump is meeting the UK Prime Minister and talking up a special relationship and trade deal with the UK and the US, if the plant does close, the new line is likely to be taken to Mexico by an American company. ‘So much for the special relationship Mr Trump.’ In May, Ford announced it was cutting around 7,000 white-collar jobs from its global operations as part of a major restructuring exercise, with up to 550 losses expected in the UK. Several factors, such as the increasing electrification of cars and falling diesel sales, have forced car makers to change their business strategies. Blame has also been placed on Brexit uncertainty, as leaving the EU without a deal could hit complex cross-border supply chains, making it less profitable to produce vehicles in the UK. Ford previously warned that a no-deal Brexit could cost the UK car industry dearly (Picture: Getty Images) Ford has previously warned that a no-deal Brexit could be ‘catastrophic’ for the British auto industry. The company is not alone in announcing the closure of its plants, with Honda also due to shut its Swindon plant in 2021, costing workers thousands of jobs. Nissan also reversed a decision to build its new X-Trail vehicle at its Sunderland plant, which has a 7,000-strong workforce. Land Rover, owned by India’s Tata Motors, announced a plan to cut 4,500 jobs in a bid to reduce costs, most of which are expected to be in the UK. Rebecca Long-Bailey, shadow secretary for business, energy and industrial strategy, said: ‘This is worrying news, first and foremost for Ford employees and their families who are left unsure as to their futures, but also for the jobs across the supply chain and the impact on the local economy in Bridgend. ‘Hot off the heels from Honda this would be another devastating blow to our car industry and to the UK’s wider manufacturing base. The Government must urgently meet with Ford to secure the plant’s future.’

Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2019/06/06/ford...-destroy-uk-car-industry-9832148/?ito=cbshare

Guessing the 56 moves from bridgend to dagenham were for clearing stuff out?

 

[Typhoon]

Really sorry to those, especially forum members, who will be losing their jobs.

 

[DarloRich]

Terrible news for the people involved. As with the north east i cant imagine there will be may highly skilled, well paid jobs to replace the ones lost. Times are going to be hard for a lot of people.

BTW - this is the true Brexit dividend. But then car workers count for nothing against sovereignty and "taking back control"!

Guessing the 56 moves from bridgend to dagenham were for clearing stuff out?

goodness me. I suspect there are bigger things to worry about.

 

[Kite159]

I feel sorry for the staff, another car (parts) factory closing with production shifted elsewhere in Europe/the world, joining countless manufacturers who have shifted (both before & after Brexit, i.e. Peugeot in Coventry)

Brexit has something to play, but Ford are downsizing with job losses in other factories. Sadly no doubt it won't be the last place to close (or downsize), there is uncertainly with potential tariffs if GB leaves the EU without a deal.

 

[GB]

Very sad to hear.



Guessing the 56 moves from bridgend to dagenham were for clearing stuff out?

No, they are/were regular booked moves. DB did them (with a 66) for many years before Colas took over couple of years ago.

 

[BananaRepublic]

Ford closed their Belgian car production facility, at Genk a few years ago, losing 4,300 jobs.
Only three months ago they announced the closure of the transmission production plant near Bordeaux, with nearly 1,000 jobs lost.
They have also just announced the loss of 5,000 jobs in Germany.

Absolutely zero to do with Brexit and all to do with Ford's falling market share and the transfer of production to Eastern Europe, Turkey and other lower cost developing nations.
The Bridgend plant has been under threat of closure for a few years now and the ending of the contract to supply JLR with engines, has sealed its fate.
This would still have happened even if the Brexit referendum hadn't taken place.


zzz

 

[DarloRich]

Absolutely zero to do with Brexit

of course. Just Like Nissan and Honda.

 

[Bletchleyite]

of course. Just Like Nissan and Honda.

Nissan certainly. Honda on the other hand has near enough withdrawn from the European car market more widely, or is heading that way.

 

[BananaRepublic]

of course. Just Like Nissan and Honda.

Honda are not moving jobs to the EU, but taking production out the EU altogether.
Their Swindon plant has been supplying most of its production to non-EU markets.
In a major restructuring of the company, they are taking most of their global manufacturing back to Japan.

Nissan had several reasons for cancelling the expansion of production at Sunderland, Brexit only being one of those reasons.
The same decision was very likely even without Brexit taking place.

There have been more job losses in the German automotive sector, than in the UK over the last year.
Ford are in the S**t globally and are desperately making cuts and restructuring across the board.



zzz

 

[thejuggler]

It can't have been good for Ford sales when the engine this plant is making was such a disaster when first launched, further compounded when JLR stopped using Ford engines.

I would always have recommended a Ford to anyone who simply wanted a car to do a job - cheap to buy, cheap to fix, generally reliable. Ecoboost (and Powershift gearbox) saga changed all that and I would no longer recommended them. Toyota still know how to make a car for those not into cars, closely followed by other Far Eastern manufacturers.

 

[BananaRepublic]

Volkswagen - 7,000 job cuts (in Germany) announced a couple of months back.
Must be because of Brexit.


zzzz

 

[DarloRich]

Honda are not moving jobs to the EU, but taking production out the EU altogether.
Their Swindon plant has been supplying most of its production to non-EU markets.
In a major restructuring of the company, they are taking most of their global manufacturing back to Japan.

Nissan had several reasons for cancelling the expansion of production at Sunderland, Brexit only being one of those reasons.
The same decision was very likely even without Brexit taking place.

There have been more job losses in the German automotive sector, than in the UK over the last year.
Ford are in the S**t globally and are desperately making cuts and restructuring across the board.

How silly of me. your beloved Brexit will only deliver benefit and opportunity to the UK.

zzz

I wonder why you have thrice marked this entry in white in your posts?Is it that you find reports of people losing their jobs boring? Perhaps you find the focus on Brexit fallout and the lies told during the referendum uncomfortably challenging to your world view?

You are welcome to suggest Brexit will be wonderful. Personally, I think it will be bad for us as a country and lead to unnecessary hardship. People are already starting to lose their jobs because of Brexit. More will follow. Sovereignty wont keep the lights on or the mortgage paid. Taking back control wont put food on the table.

 

[BananaRepublic]

How silly of me. your beloved Brexit will only deliver benefit and opportunity to the UK.

It's not my beloved Brexit dear boy. I had no desire for it.
It's nothing to do with Brexit, unless you wish to appropriate non-Brexit related events too furnish an anti-Brexit propaganda campaign.

I wonder why you have twice marked this entry is white in your posts.Is it that you find reports of people losing their jobs boring.

You are clearly not in the loop..... and no, I don't find people losing their jobs boring, but do I find exploiting the misfortune of those losing their jobs, in order to make political capital, particularly obnoxious.
Attributing these job loses to Brexit is as good as sh***ing on the Ford workers in Bridgend.

Perhaps you find the focus on Brexit fallout and the lies told during the referendum uncomfortably challenging to your world view.

You haven't the foggiest about my world view and you have no idea what my views on Brexit are.
As for lies, there's plenty of twisting and misrepresentations of the facts being told by those trying to thwart Brexit as well.

You are welcome to suggest Brexit will be wonderful. Personally, I think it will be bad for us as a country and lead to unnecessary hardship. Sovereignty wont keep the lights on or the mortgage paid. Taking back control wont put food on the table.

I have never suggested any such thing.

 

[DarloRich]

@BananaRepublic - apologies i was unfair in my criticism of you.

However, I cannot agree that Brexit plays no part in companies decision making. The uncertainty about the future trading relationship will be flashing bright red on any manufacturing and exporting company risk register. The risk to just in time supply chains from a cack handed Brexit is huge. World wide contraction or no Brexit simply has to form part of the calculation.

Whatever the reason the Welsh economy and the people of south wales will be badly damaged by this closure. I doubt there are high skilled, good waged jobs to be had easily.

PS: I will happily admit this is all some kind of perverse Rorschach test!

 

[mikeg]

Very sad news indeed. No doubt they will be supported. Oh sorry, no they'll be unemployed and vilified as scroungers. Or have to get a mcjob. This country really needs a better way of dealing with failing industries.

 

[BananaRepublic]

Very sad news indeed. ........This country really needs a better way of dealing with failing industries.

I agree, there does need to be a better way of dealing with the fallout from failing industries.
What do you suggest?

It's difficult when there's no way of avoiding the fact that the factory, industry or whatever, is going to close, regardless.
How do other countries deal with these situations, if at all?

 

[Dave1987]

Wondering what happens when the UK has no industry left and is completely reliant on the services sector to provide employment. We don't have the expertise to build our own power plants any longer and need to rely on foreign knowledge and investment.

 

[mikeg]

We need proper industrial planning integrated with skills planning, everything else. There are numerous ways of doing this. Have to say small town Germany does a good job of repurposing it's industries in a way that's unheard of here. They also have a lot of regionally based businesses of international importance.

Sweden has been historically quite ruthless at killing off sunset industries, but has matched this with coordinated investment and training (less so nowadays) . Personally I think the Germans for the most part do a good job, though there are the odd perverse outcomes such as the coal industry being given subsidies.

 

[mikeg]

For example if you use a tachograph there's a good chance its made in Villingen-Schweningen or at least designed there. This seems to have emerged out of the historic clock-making industry long term, which would simply have been allowed to go bust here.