Now Nissan cuts jobs as diesel car sales slump
NISSAN is poised to lay off hundreds of workers at its Sunderland plant amid the slump in demand for diesels.
Around a quarter of the cars made at the factory, which employs around 7,000, have diesel engines.
The Japanese giant, which last year announced plans to build new versions of the Qashqai, Juke and X-Trail in Sunderland, stressed the decision was ‘not related to Brexit’. It said a shift to hybrids and electric engines and a ‘planned short-term reduction’ in production required ‘operational changes’.
The job cuts follow Jaguar Land Rover announcing last week that it would shed 1,000 contract staff.
A Nissan spokesman said that all the redundancies would be voluntary.
Health warnings about diesel fumes, fears about tax hikes as well as extra charges imposed by councils have caused drivers to shun diesels. Nissan’s plans will fuel concerns about the impact the decline will have on jobs, with 725,000 diesel cars made in Britain last year.