Engine deal scrapped
Jag move puts Welsh factory in danger
JAGUAR Land Rover are ditching an engine deal with Ford – putting at least 750 jobs at risk.
Indian-owned JLR will end a contract for Ford to supply petrol engines earlier than planned in 2020.
The move is a major blow to Ford’s Bridgend plant in Wales. Around 750 of the factory’s 1800 workforce rely on the JLR contract. Bridgend also make petrol engines for Ford’s own vehicles.
Coventry-based JLR insisted: “Ford has been, and remains, an important strategic supplier.”
There is speculation JLR will move all petrol engine production in-house to their Wolverhampton plant, together with all diesel engines, some of which are made by Ford at their Dagenham factory.
Ford, who owned Jaguar and Land Rover until they were bought by Tata in 2008 up 9.3 at 7322.8 GKN GlaxoSmithKline Halfords Hays HSBC Imperial Brands International Airlines Grp ITV Kingfisher Land Securities Legal & General Lloyds Marks & Spencer Morrison National Grid Next Old Mutual Pearson Prudential Reckitt Benckiser RELX during the financial crisis, called the ending of the contract “disappointing”. The US-based car giant added: “We continue to look at other high-technology opportunities for Bridgend in the future.” Unions slammed the move. Jeff Beck, GMB regional organiser, said 1100 jobs in Bridgend could go by 2020. He said: “Unless other contracts are found, this will have a devastating and far-reaching impact on the communities in and around Bridgend, as well as across south Wales as a whole.” Unite Wales secretary Andy Richards urged all concerned to “work night and day to secure alternative future work”. Ken Skates, the Welsh Government’s Economy Secretary, said: “We are calling on JLR to confirm that this move will not sacrifice jobs in Wales and displace them to the West Midlands.” 342.8 1482.0 347.0 191.1 731.8 3172.0 594.5 168.7 293.3 968.0 258.6 67.2 352.5 234.3 920.9 5255.0 191.0 606.0 1779.5 6753.0 1622.0 Oil +3.2 -4.0 +4.2 +2.9 +1.8 -133.0 -4.5 -1.4 -0.9 +58.4 -0.7 0.0 +1.5 +1.2 -4.4 -5.0 -1.0 0.0 +16.0 -52.0 +19.0 = $57.22 Rentokil Initial Rio Tinto Rolls-Royce Royal Mail RSA RBS J Sainsbury SSE Severn Trent Serco Sports Direct Shell Sky Smith & Nephew Smith WH Stagecoach Standard Chartered Standard Life Aberdeen TalkTalk Taylor Wimpey Tesco 297.1 3417.0 884.0 383.8 622.5 266.4 236.7 1386.0 2161.0 117.0 409.1 2286.0 915.0 1330.0 2045.0 168.4 739.1 428.7 207.0 191.9 185.1 +4.0 -7.5 +22.5 -0.6 +1.0 -4.4 -1.7 -8.0 +3.0 -0.6 +3.2 +15.0 +1.5 +22.0 +13.0 +4.1 +7.9 +3.6 -3.3 +1.8 -2.1 Thomas Cook Unilever United Utilities Vodafone Trinity Mirror 118.0 4266.5 845.0 205.3 85.8 +4.2 +1.5 +4.5 -3.0 +1.2