Honda four month shutdown underlines urgent need for car industry
support
16 January 2009
The announcement today that Honda will halt production at its
Swindon plant for the months of April and May this year has been
met with dismay by Unite, the UK's biggest union.
Reacting to the news that there will be a further shutdown in
addition to the two month stoppage over February and March, Derek
Simpson, joint general secretary for Unite said: "This latest,
additional shutdown underlines the urgent need for state assistance
for our car industry. With demand for Honda's products
collapsed and a plunge in this year's production figures, one of
our leading plants must stand idle for four months.
"Now, the Honda workforce is facing a 50 percent cut in wages,
and are frightened for their jobs and futures. They, along
with the rest of the car and components industry, desperately need
to see some form of lifeline being thrown to the sector from the
Government. We also need immediate financial support for
workers, such as those at Honda, who must take a cut in pay in
order to keep their jobs."
Repeating Unite's call for a £13 billion strategic assistance
fund for the manufacturing and car industry, joint general
secretary Tony Woodley said:
"Our car industry is taking a battering and it urgently needs
state assistance. This is a no brainer - we must get credit
lines running and above all, hear from Government that its priority
is to keep people in work.
" Ministers must stop
dilly-dallying. Aid for our car industry is now a matter of
urgency, including money to support workers who must take a
dramatic cut in wages to hang onto their jobs. While the US,
Germany and our other competitors are teeing up their second
assistance schemes to protect their manufacturing sector, our
country has yet to implement its first. If we do not have action
now, our industry will not be fit for purpose when the economic
upturn comes."
Local Unite officer, Jim D'Avila added: "Our members are
stunned, and worried about what next. They know that the
severe drop in demand means pain for the workforce but we are
working with the management team at Honda to ensure that people are
kept in work. Our priority now is to save jobs and help the
workforce through these very tough times."
ENDS
For further information contact Pauline Doyle on 07976 832
861
