Ford to extend short time
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.FORD is to extend short-time working at its two biggest plants into October because it sees no signs of a recovery in the recession-hit motor industry.
The announcement, made before yesterday's one-point cut in interest rates, will affect 10,000 production-line workers and result in the loss of about 12,000 Escort, Orion and Fiesta models.
Production-line workers at Ford's Dagenham plant in Essex, which builds the Fiesta, will continue to work a three-day week next month. The Halewood plant on Merseyside, where the Escort/ Orion range is built, will go on a four-day week for the first three weeks of October and shut down altogether for the last week of the month.
Sales of K-registered cars in the key month of August failed to match manufacturers' expectations and sales for the year are not expected to surpass last year's depressed level of 1.59 million.
Ford said that a further 'worrying trend' was the decline in export sales from its UK plants. Dagenham exports 55 per cent of its output while a fifth of Halewood's production goes overseas.
A special meeeting is being held tomorrow between the company and its unions to discuss future capacity.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments