Worrying news for staff at car giant Ford who today have announced an intention to close its Southampton Transit van factory as well as its stamping plant in Dagenham. While the company claims approximately 1,400 jobs could be shed, unions say the number of redundancies could well top 2,000 according to BBC News.
Ford has also stated that it hopes that a number of redundancies will come about through voluntary redundancies and said the company had no option but to address “difficult times for the European automotive industry.”
Aside from the job losses, the company plans to introduce a new product range, and focus on improved brand strength and cost reductions as it strives to compete against the rising tide of Asian car manufacturers.