Nissan Sunderland Plant to Cut over 1 thousand Workers
Nissan, the carmaker, has announced that they are going to sack about 25% of their Sunderland plant workers. The company, who sent workers home early prior to Christmas in order to deal with the downturn of the company, said that this 25% entails 1,200 jobs.
The Sunderland plant was opened in 1986 and has become a major employer of the city, as it employs 4,900 people. Unite, the union, has described Nissan’s announcement as devastating news. Four hundred of the staff that are to lose their jobs are temporary workers. Derek Simpson, the Joint General Secretary of Unite, said that the announcement shows how serious the economic difficulties are in Britain. He also said that they will do all they can in order to minimize compulsory cuts, and it is very crucial that the skills of the workers aren’t lost.
Last year, the car manufacturer sold 66,336 new cars across the United Kingdom, which is only 0.14% less than the year before. However, their December sales dropped by 26.68% in comparison with December of 2007. This is also in comparison to the average 21.2% decline throughout the industry.
A Nissan spokesman said that the company has given notification to the Local Works Council and Unite of their intention to cut 1,200 of the overall production headcount. The regulated consultation period is going to determine the best way to adjust headcount permanently, he continued, but they hope it can be managed voluntarily.
Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary, says that everything will be done in order to help the workforce, and he knows that it is going be a tough period for workers. He also added that they will be working with One NorthEast to help employees find other jobs and with Nissan in order to new Sunderland investment.
Get more information about the company at: www.nissan.co.uk
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