Plant shuts down line for five days
STAFF at the Ford factory in Bridgend have been told to take a week off work due to a production line unexpectedly shutting down, with some fearing it could be the start of permanent job cuts.
Employees on the line, which makes the Jaguar AJ-V8 engine, have been told it will be closed for five days from today until Friday.
This means staff have been told not to come into work for a week and will receive basic pay for the days they’re not working.
A letter from the Ford HR department confirming the plans was sent to those affected earlier this week.
The letter reads: “As you are no doubt aware, Jaguar Land Rover have recently announced a temporary cessation of vehicle production.
“Inevitably, this has had a knockon effect in a reduced demand for the component parts from their supply base, including ourselves here at BEP [Bridgend Engine Plant].
“As such we have introduced five lay-off days from Monday, October 29, to Friday, November 2, during which AJ production will cease and only activities that have business criticality or cost-reduction opportunities will be undertaken.”
It continued to say that in order for staff to be eligible for the Lay-Off Pay they must be “willing to perform work as and when required either in his normal job or any other suitable job allocated to him”.
No other lines are affected. One woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said her husband – an employee at Ford – found out about the plans last week and said they were concerned the temporary closure of the line could be followed up by permanent job cuts.
She said: “Dozens of people work on that line and have been told not to go into work next week.
“It’s affecting dozens of people, people who have families and mortgages to pay.”
The plant is one of the biggest employers in Bridgend – and Wales – with more than 1,500 employees.
A spokeswoman for Ford confirmed the news, saying: “We have initiated five days downtime on one of our production lines at Bridgend Engine Plant from Monday, October 29.
“The production line engines for a third-party.”
The company has not said if there are plans for more temporary line closures, future job cuts or confirmed how many people will be affected by the line closure.
Jeff Beck, the regional organiser for GMB Wales and the south west, the trade union representing some Ford employees, said: “We’re disappointed to find out about the lay-off days through the media.
“However we understand the issues raised by the temporary cessation of production of the Jaguar Land Rover engine in Bridgend, and will work with Ford to build a sustainable future for the car industry in south Wales.” builds