{"id":3715,"date":"2018-10-27T17:52:43","date_gmt":"2018-10-27T17:52:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/production-line-at-ford-in-bridgend-to-shut-for-five-days\/"},"modified":"2018-10-27T17:52:43","modified_gmt":"2018-10-27T17:52:43","slug":"production-line-at-ford-in-bridgend-to-shut-for-five-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/production-line-at-ford-in-bridgend-to-shut-for-five-days\/","title":{"rendered":"Production line at Ford in Bridgend to shut for five days"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"FordImage copyright<\/span>
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Image caption<\/span>
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\n Staff have been told the AJ production line will be closed for five days from 29 October
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Staff at Ford’s plant in Bridgend working on the new Jaguar engine have been told not to come into work for five days.<\/p>\n

The AJ production line at the plant will shutdown from 29 October to 2 November, the car maker confirmed.<\/p>\n

Letters were sent to staff this week – a move which union officials said came as a surprise.<\/p>\n

Wales’ first minister Carwyn Jones said he wanted assurances the move was only temporary.<\/p>\n

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\n Skip Twitter post by @AMCarwyn<\/a><\/p>\n
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I will be looking for a meeting this week to confirm that this is only temporary. In these difficult times Bridgend workers need certainty despite Brexit.
Another reason why there needs to be a good deal for our car industry. https:\/\/t.co\/hESpyMiV8M<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Carwyn Jones AM\/AC (@AMCarwyn) October 27, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n

End of Twitter post by @AMCarwyn<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

News of the shutdown has caused fresh anxiety for those at the plant – which is one of the biggest employers in Wales.<\/p>\n

Last week, Ford’s European boss Steven Armstrong warned a no-deal Brexit could affect the company’s future in the UK<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And in 2017, it was announced production of engines for Jaguar Land Rover would end three months earlier than expected<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A spokeswoman for Ford said: “We have initiated five days downtime on one of our production lines at Bridgend Engine Plant from 29 October.<\/p>\n

“The production line builds engines for a third-party.”<\/p>\n

It is understood the workers affected will still get basic pay.<\/p>\n

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Media caption<\/span>Ford’s Steven Armstrong: No-deal Brexit would be costly<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Analysis: Sarah Dickins, BBC Wales economics correspondent<\/strong><\/p>\n

The timing of the shutdown is somewhat ironic – it comes as the plant celebrates a year since the first production of its new Dragon engine for Ford cars. <\/p>\n

Investment in that new engine for Ford was welcomed, but there has been concern about the long-term viability of the plant for some time.<\/p>\n

This latest move comes at a time when the automotive components sector starts to feel the impact of cuts in production by big car makers.<\/p>\n

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), owned by Tata Group, announced cuts in production at its plants in Solihull , Halewood and Castle Bromwich. As a result there is less demand for the parts that go into the cars. <\/p>\n

The company has blamed falling demand in China and also “Dieselgate” – the UK government’s change of policy on diesel cars and the subsequent fall in sales of diesel vehicles.<\/p>\n

At the same time, car makers are becoming increasingly vocal about their fears about the possible effect of Brexit on the industry. <\/p>\n

BMW said in September that it would stop producing its minis at Cowley in Oxford for a month when the UK leaves the EU .<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n