Unions to meet management over Ford plant's future

10:40am Monday 15th September 2008

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UNION leaders were today fighting to save more than a thousand jobs at Southampton’s last major factory.

They are due to hold crunch talks with managers at Ford about future investment at the motor giant’s plant at Swaythling.

Workers fear that the next generation of Transit vans will not be built in the city but at new plants at cheaper locations in Romania and Turkey.

A decision is due soon with production expected to begin in 2010.

It will be the third meeting between leaders of Unite and the company over the future of the factory, the company’s last vehicle assembly plant in the UK, which employs around 1,100 people.

The company has already told 120 employees on short-term contracts that they will be out of a job in October.

Ford workers have said they would consider strikes, demonstrations and a political campaign in order to protect jobs and secure the future of the giant Southampton plant.

They want the company to reinstate the 120 workers, lift the threat of closure and ensure decent pay and conditions.

However, Ford is struggling with falling sales worldwide, reporting a second quarter loss of $8.7bn.

Two months ago the Daily Echo exclusively published a leaked company memo that revealed the plant was under review.

Further documents obtained by the Daily Echo showed that the plant was running at a £6m deficit against budget and may not get the contract for the new model Transit.

Company minutes quoted plant manager Martin Chapman as saying the Southampton factory was at “a critical point in its history”.

Unite national officer Dave Osborne said: “We expect Ford to honour its 2001 sourcing and investment agreement which makes clear commitments to vehicle manufacture in the UK.

“Our members have made major contributions to the performance of Ford in Europe. Ford workers in the UK have continued to deliver major improvements in efficiencies and cost reductions.

“Europe has been Ford’s saving grace and the UK is Ford’s biggest European market.”

Ford confirmed there was due to be a meeting today, saying it will be the latest in a series of talks about future Transit production.

In recent years Southampton has seen the closure of several manufacturing giants including Vosper Thornycroft, British American Tobacco and Pirelli.