Scathing reviews for car parts plant facing closure
PEOPLE claiming to work for Toyoda Gosei in Gorseinon, which announced this week that it was likely to close with the loss of all jobs, have been commenting on what it’s like to work there.
It was announced that the jobs of 207 workers at the plant were likely to be at risk, with the company moving its operations elsewhere in Europe.
The plant, which makes specialist car parts and LEDs for major brands like Honda and Toyota, has been in operation in Swansea since 2011 and employed more than 800 people at its peak.
The Japanese-headquartered company said it was moving its operations from Swansea to the Czech Republic “in response to continued changes in the global automotive sector, and a significant reduction in key UK customer demand”.
The indeed.com job search website allows people to post comments about working for particular companies. And some people claiming to work at Toyoda Gosei have used the site to write scathing reviews, which stretch back a number of years before the closure was announced.
The bad reviews far outweigh the good.
One review by someone claiming to be a former quality inspector on the company’s indeed.com profile was titled “Stressful and underestimated”.
The 2020 review said: “Minimum wage, no benefits, no bonuses.”
They criticised management and claimed staff were expected to deliver the impossible and were “criticised for everything”.
Another claiming to be from a production worker in February, 2021, said: “The job itself is not bad, but low wage working on two shifts... and practically no chance of any promotion or pay raise. You can work there only when you cannot find another job.”
A further two from February, 2021, and September, 2020 described it as “horrid” and a “horrible place to work”.
The September comment, claiming to be from a paint technician, said: “Always expected to do more and more for no increase in pay, long hours with poor shift allowance. My team in the paint department were brill, got on with all the techs and met some good people but that I’m afraid is the only positive I can take from working there. The place got to me mentally and I had to leave and pursue a different career.”
In 2018, someone claiming to be a former production operative also criticised management, adding: “Low wages, poor culture and employee engagement. Staff are not valued.”
Out of 25 reviews submitted on the indeed.com website, only two rated the company at three stars or above, and the average score for both ‘worklife balance’ and ‘culture’ was 2.8 out of a possible five stars. The main concerns raised were perceived low pay, long hours, poor communication and a lack of opportunities for progression.
Another review from 2015 said: “Too long hours for pittance of a wage with breaks so short they’re more of a joke. Don’t bother trying to show any initiative as it’s completely overlooked. The hardest part of this job was finding the motivation to go in and the most enjoyable aspect was leaving for home.”
The picture on Glassdoor.co.uk was a little more positive for the company, with an overall score of 3.9 out of five from seven reviews. A four-star review described the employee’s time at the plant as a “positive opportunity” although a one-star rated review said there were “absolutely no pros” to working there.
Toyoda Gosei UK declined to comment as the consultation period for staff at its Swansea plant continues.