Clock for Ford bosses
BOSSES at Ford have been given until the end of this month to offer concrete assurances over the future of the Bridgend Engine Plant.
Unite union general secretary Len McCluskey has warned the car manufacturer that its workforce in south Wales plan to meet and discuss its options on March 1, after the deadline imposed by them has passed.
“The message is a simple one to the company,” Mr McCluskey said on a visit to Bridgend on Tuesday.
“You need to convince us that you are committed when our current products start to run down and finish.
“You need to convince us you have a serious plan for appropriate product replacements.”
On Tuesday a Ford spokeswoman said: “We continue to work with our union partners on an ongoing basis. No timeline has been agreed.”
Ford chiefs have so far failed to reveal what will happen with an estimated 1,300 surplus jobs when, in 2020, production of two engines will end.
The Unite general secretary was in Bridgend to relay the outcome of a meeting he had with Jim Farley, the CEO of Ford Europe, which took place last month.
During that meeting Mr Farley failed to give concrete assurances over what will happen in Bridgend once production of two engine types – the Ford Sigma and Jaguar Land Rover – ends in three years.
Last autumn Ford also cut its investment in a new type of engine called Dragon, which will be produced in Bridgend from 2018.
As that requires a workforce commitment of around 550 people, staff are becoming increasingly anxious over what will become of the other 1,300 jobs at the site.
Following his meeting on Tuesday Mr McCluskey said: “There was an enormous amount of anger and frustration from the shop stewards because the question that they are asking hasn’t been answered.
“And that question is simply ‘What future have we got here in Bridgend post 2020?’
“Every Ford plant in the whole of Europe has a five-year plan and so we have said to the company ‘give us a five-year plan for Bridgend’, and we have given them to the end of February to give us that plan.”
Mr McCluskey said he has called a mass meeting of Ford Bridgend Engine Plant (BEP) workers on March 1, St David’s Day, where discussions will take place on what action should be taken next.
Following the meeting with Mr Farley, a Ford spokeswoman said last week: “Ford announced in September that it was taking the option to invest an initial £100m of an approved investment to build a family of all-new, technologically-advanced petrol engines at Bridgend from late 2018.
“In addition, Ford once again reiterated that the anticipated production volume of engines from Bridgend remains healthy in the upcoming years, with associated labour requirements expected to be similar to today’s level.
“Bridgend must fulfil its commitment in terms of delivery, quality and cost of the products it manufactures and – just as in the case for every Ford plant around the world – winning new product contracts depends on the plant’s efficiency and global competitiveness.”
But Mr McCluskey said with the production of Dragon engines only set to need a workforce of around 500 people he fears that is “too small a volume” and “will eventually lead to closure” unless other products are forthcoming.
He said BEP “used to be the jewel in the crown” of Ford Europe and he believes the company has a “moral obligation” to the workforce.
He said Brexit and Prime Minister Theresa May’s commitment to exit the single market has shaken confidence in Ford and other manufacturers as tariffs could be imposed on exports into the European market in future.
Mr McCluskey said Ford has just committed a “substantial investment in the Dagenham Engine Plant” and wants the company to step forward and also commit to the future of Bridgend.
“What the company seem to be saying at the moment is ‘give us more efficiency’ and we might get a new product,” he said.
“We are saying ‘give us the commitment to fill our factory or an appropriate product’.
“We can’t ask our members to buy jam tomorrow.
“The whole of the community here depends on this plant, but not just here. Bridgend is also key to the whole of the Welsh automotive supply chain.
“There is a lot at stake here and we are going to do everything in our power to secure that future.”
Mr McCluskey said Ford could increase the planned volume of Dragon engines from 125,000 a year, and could also bring in hybrid engines or some of the heavy investment it is making into electrification.