Nissan staff have furlough extended

Nissan has confirmed that it has extended furlough for employees at its Wearside plant until the end of May

Nissan have confirmed that the majority of its staff at the plant will remain on furlough until the end of May.

It is the second extension that staff have seen, the first coming at the start of April followingthe suspension of production on March, 17.

About 7,000 people are employed at the plant, with the Government scheme supporting jobs until the worst of the outbreak is over.

A Nissan spokesman said: “During this period the majority of plant employees will remain furloughed, and we are grateful for the Government support that has enabled us to take this action.”

It has also been confirmed that the car-making giant is monitoring the situation in Europe and is hoping to resume production at the beginning of June.

Nissan added: “Vehicle production at Nissan Sunderland Plant has been suspended since March, 17. This suspension will now continue throughout May.

“We are planning a phased resumption of production in early June. Our goal is to navigate through this crisis while maintaining activities critical for business continuity and to make sure we are prepared for the time when business resumes in Europe and we can welcome the Nissan team back to work.”

The suspension came as the company “assessed supply chain disruption and the sudden drop in market demand caused by the COVID-19 emergency”.