8:52 am, February 14, 2023
Ford has announced plans to axe 1,300 jobs in the UK over the next two years.
The cuts amount to around a fifth of the firm’s total UK workforce, and are part of a major restructuring programme to Ford’s European business which will see 3,800 jobs cut across the region.
The Blue Oval is cutting back on development staff as it transitions to electric vehicles, according to BBC News.
In the UK, the majority of the job losses will be at Ford’s Dunton research site in Essex.
Back-office posts are also expected to be axed.
Production sites at Halewood, Dagenham and Daventry will not be affected by the restructuring plans, however.
Tim Slatter, chairman of Ford of Britain, said: ‘Here in Europe we’ve got a pretty difficult economic situation, and the outlook is uncertain.
‘High inflation, higher interest rates, the ongoing war in Ukraine, cost of energy and so on.’
Electric vehicles are also another major factor in the restricting of Ford’s European business.
Over the past year, Ford has ended production of the Mondeo and announced plans to axe the S-Max and Galaxy MPVs, along with the much-loved Fiesta supermini.
Ford is preparing the ground to go fully electric by 2030 in Europe and has a partnership with Volkswagen for future models.
A slimmer line-up of models with evocative names – much like the current Mustang Mach-e and F-150 Lightning electric pick-up truck – is the blueprint.
The carmaker has said it will invest some $50bn (£41bn) in electric vehicles over the next few years.
Some £380m has already been committed to overhaul Ford’s Halewood gearbox factory in Merseyside to build electric motors.
‘These are difficult decisions, not taken lightly’, said Martin Sander, European head of Ford’s electric vehicles division.
‘We recognise the uncertainty it creates for our team, and I assure them we will be offering them our full support in the months ahead.’
Pictured top: Ford’s Halewood plant
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