Engineering news
The news of cuts came as the car manufacturer shared its five-year outlook with unions in the wake of reductions in planned investment in its new Dragon engine.
Unless new business comes in, the South Wales site could be left in a worse case scenario with only 600 workers by 2021.
The American car company currently manufactures 655,000 engines at the Welsh plant, but the contracts for these are coming to an end and there is only guaranteed work for 125,000 in future.
Ford says there were “healthy volumes” of work over the next two to three years. “Beyond that, identified workload is reduced and whilst such a forecast is not unusual, given the cyclical nature of our business, it is a concern and we fully understand that,” it adds.
The UK’s largest trade union Unite says it has begun consulting its members and assured them that they they will fight for the future of the plant.
“We will not allow Ford to walk away from its responsibilities,” says general secretary Len McCluskey. “Ford must give this plant a chance and work with us to secure a better future. We will be seeking legally binding guarantees to secure future production at the plant, as well as exploring how Bridgend’s production capability can be fully utilised through the introduction of new lines.”
McCluskey claims that the uncertainty around Brexit is clearly a factor in Ford’s decision.
Meanwhile, prime minister Theresa May told Parliament that the government has spoken to Ford about ways it can help.
Earlier this week, Nissan called on the government to spend £100 million to attract component suppliers to the UK or risk the future of its Sunderland car plant. “Nissan will not succeed in the future, with or without Brexit, unless the government does something to help us in the supply chain,” Colin Lawther, head of European manufacturing at Nissan told MPs.