Todd Bishop
Ford Motor Co. (Audi) announced in March that it would lay off 5,000 people at a German car factory. The news said that Ford will announce plans for layoffs in the UK in the next few weeks, and it is expected to cut about 550 employees in the UK Essex office. Ford confirmed this but did not disclose the actual number of layoffs.
City AM quoted sources as saying that Ford Motor Co., in the next few weeks, announced plans to cut staff at its offices in Essex, with up to 550 people being laid off. The Essex office is primarily responsible for vehicle development and other matters. The employees at the Dagenham, Bridgend, and Halewood factories are not affected by the layoffs.
There is no direct relationship between layoffs and Brexit. The
Ford spokesperson confirmed that the company will conduct a voluntary separation plan for salaried employees in the UK, but Ford has not confirmed the number of layoffs. The report pointed out that the layoffs have no direct relationship with the Brexit. Ford is working hard on global losses and hopes to reverse the situation, including streamlining European operations. It has also been reported that it will close three factories in Russia.
Although the layoffs have nothing to do with Brexit, the British auto industry is also worried about the risks of Brexit. If the UK does not reach an agreement with the EU, it will be “hard-off” and adopt the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. It is estimated that by 2021, total UK car production will fall by 30% to 1.07 million, which is about the same as the production level in the mid-1980s.
