Ford workers who go voluntarily 'would get about £30,000' (From Daily Echo)

Ford workers who go voluntarily 'would get about £30,000'

4:50pm Monday 9th February 2009 in

By Simon Carr » Eastleigh Chief Reporter

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FORD workers could get more than a year’s salary if they take voluntary redundancy, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Bosses of the international motor giant hope that the cash will convince staff at its Southampton Transit plant to agree to leave.

They are bidding to almost half the 1,100 workforce at the Swaythling factory.

More than 500 jobs are to go.

Many workers will get a pay-off worth tens of thousands of pounds, with more than a year’s salary coming at once.

The deal includes a special payment of six months’ wages and up to three months’ pay in lieu of notice.

Axed workers will also get one week’s pay for each year’s service up to the age of 41 and a week-and-a-half from that point on.

All of these payments would include shift allowances.

A pension deal will be struck with those who are over 50 on May 5.

Workers have told the Daily Echo they thought that the volunteers would walk away with about £30,000 on average.

A Ford spokesman said: “Ford would always craft the fairest deal we could afford.

Ford has a history of doing the right thing and we have not had to make a compulsory redundancy in the UK since 1967.

” He refused to predict how many workers the company thought would take up the deal.

Unite union regional officer Ian Woodland said: “I think this is a good union-negotiated deal and we would like to see training on offer to help workers who are leaving to have the best chance of finding work elsewhere.”

The company will be writing to employees over the next three weeks with exact figures of what payments they can expect should they opt for redundancy.

Interest needs to have been lodged by March 13 and applied for by April 21, before the end date of May 5.

Feeling among the workers is mixed.

One worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “On the face of it these figures sound generous but I think people will be surprised how little it comes to when they sit down and work it out. “I have a young family and I can’t raise them as a pensioner.

This is not the right time to be looking for another job.” Another said: “I will be waiting to see how much I would be getting after tax and everything and decide what I’ll do then.

Comments(32)

Lone Ranger says...
12:08pm Mon 9 Feb 09

Don't necassarily share all of your views.

With the world economic downturn it was only a matter of time before this industry, along with many others, would feel the pinch in a big way.

Not just Ford in the UK but also Honda and Nissan, who have little or none union interference, plus many others.

The unions of course, on the face of it, did not help but it was inevitable whats happening in Fords is the final conclusion.

Their saving grace is that the employees who take voluntary redundancy will at least walk away with, possibly, 12 months money which is a hell of a lot more that most other industries.

There will be many companies that will no longer exist after this recession and of course many peoples jobs/livelihoods, but with a bit of luck and some hard work they will all survive to fight another day and possibly be stronger than ever.

I know i have been there and come out the other side