Workers Revolutionary Party - HONDA SWINDON PLANT AXED

The News Line: News Tuesday, 19 February 2019 HONDA SWINDON PLANT AXED – 3,500 CAR WORKERS’ JOBS TO GO

Car workers protesting to stop the closure of Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) Coventry plant – JLR has posted losses of £3.4bn – now the Honda plant in Swindon is to close

THREE thousand five hundred car workers’ jobs are to be axed as Japanese carmaker Honda announces this morning that it is to shut down its entire Swindon car plant.

Honda produces more than 100,000 Civic cars in Swindon for the global market. It is the firm’s only factory in the EU. The closure would be ‘a shattering blow at the heart of UK manufacturing’, Unite said yesterday. Unite is seeking urgent meetings with the Honda management for clarification and called for business secretary Greg Clark to make a statement.

Unite national officer for the automotive sector Des Quinn said: ‘The car industry in the UK over the last two decades has been the jewel in the crown of the manufacturing sector – and now it has been brought low by the chaotic Brexit uncertainty created by the rigid approach adopted by prime minister Theresa May. ‘We are seeking urgent clarification from Honda on the implications of these serious reports.

‘The 3,500-strong workforce do skilled, well paid jobs that the UK can ill-afford to lose.
‘We will be doing everything we can in the coming days and weeks to support our members at this grave time for them, their families and the UK economy.

‘This will also affect thousands of jobs in the extensive supply chain across the country. This would be the single biggest automotive closure since Rover in 2005. ‘Business secretary Greg Clark needs to make an urgent statement on what the government intends to do to rectify this dire situation, if the reports prove correct.

‘It appears that the chickens are coming home to roost big-time because of Brexit uncertainty. ‘If the government had advance warning of this dreadful news and did not alert the unions, this is an appalling and cavalier attitude by ministers.’

Meanwhile, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) posted £3.4 billion losses, and earlier this month Nissan cancelled its plans to build the X-Trail 4x4 in Sunderland.