7:27am Wednesday 11th February 2009
FORD has given the “clearest assurance yet” that it will keep a manufacturing base in Southampton.
Ford of Europe boss John Fleming has pledged the company’s commitment to the city in a letter to Cabinet minister and Southampton Itchen MP John Denham.
He wrote: “I remain committed to the future of Southampton. The sourcing of chassis cabs to Southampton gives the plant a meaningful and profitable manufacturing future.”
Mr Denham called this written promise the “clearest assurance yet”.
He said: “Last week’s job losses were a blow to the city. But I have always held the belief that we can keep motor manufacturing in the city.
“That’s why I have had a series of meetings and phone conferences with Ford management and worked closely with the unions at local and national level.
“Keeping the plant open is the first step in the battle to win more work for Swaythling in the future.”
Question marks over the future of Ford began in July last year when the Daily Echo exclusively published a leaked company memo which revealed that the future of the factory was under review.
The company later announced plans to cut output from 75,000 vehicles a year to just 35,000 chassis cabs, to cut jobs and to export production of the iconic Transit to Turkey.
This plan was pushed back until 2012 after a disastrous year left Ford reeling from global losses of £10.2bn – the worst in its 105-year history.
Last week the company announced that almost half of the 1,100-strong workforce was to be axed.
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