Ford to close UK plants?

According to the Press Association, it has been confirmed that Ford is to close its factory in Southampton, where Transit vans are made, plus another plant in Dagenham. Reports say that 1,500 jobs will be lost in total, but it should be pointed out that Ford has yet to make any announcement concerning its plans and a meeting is being held with management and unions.

If the factory at Southampton does close, it will be the end of more than a century of vehicle production in Britain by Ford, as the plant is the company’s last remaining production facility in the UK. The factory employs around 500 people, but its closure would have a knock-on effect among parts suppliers.

Ford is in the middle of a major restructuring of its European operations after warning that its losses in the area could be as much as $1 billion this year. The UK is not alone in suffering job losses, as Ford recently announced the closure (in 2014) of its factory in Genk, Belgium, with the loss of 4,300 jobs. The Genk factory produces the Mondeo and S-Max vehicles.