Ford summons Genk unions, fueling closure fears - AutoNews

[2b2]

found my prediction posts
Link: "Ford not closing any European Plants" thread

2b2, on 07 August 2012 - 12:11 PM, said:
...if I've learned nothing else, it's that when Ford states something as "presently" or just doesn't state a specific future date/range,
it's only good FOR THAT MOMENT.

ex: when Ford said on Aug. 2 that they have no plans at present to bring Lincoln to China (Bloomberg)
that^
expired at 12:01am Aug. 3 and no longer has any meaning.

2b2, on 07 August 2012 - 01:54 PM, said:
my comment above COULD also apply to the case of closing a plant in Europe, I fully expect a Fomoco spokesperson to say something about "AS A LAST RESORT" in about a month
with the Closure Announcement about another month after that...possibly

pre-edit
on 2nd thought, replace ^CLOSURE^ with "CONSOLIDATION"
much more 'Fordish'

hmm...seems I was wrong about them using "consolidation"

[georgewerr]

I hate to say it but Ford needs to close a plant or two; but I still have to feel bad for the employees

[2b2]

also
Ford set to close Transit plant and axe 500 jobs - TheSun.co.UK
by KEN GIBSON, Motoring Editor
Last Updated: 25th October 2012

FORD is expected to announce plans to close its Transit van plant in Southampton today — with the loss of 500 jobs.

The US car giant is looking to cut predicted £630million losses in Europe this year...

...Last night Southampton Labour MP John Denham said it would be “devastating” if the factory shuts. He added: “Huge numbers of families would be affected.”

Ford has already announced plans to cut several hundred UK jobs, including nearly 300 voluntary redundancies at its operations in Warley and Dunton, Essex. The Transit plant is Ford’s LAST vehicle manufacturing factory in the UK. It has built over 2.18million vans at Southampton since production started in 1972.

But the workforce was cut from around 1,000 to 500 in 2009 — when the plant moved to a one-shift operation.

Transit production is now based in Turkey. European chief executive Steve Odell said the plans would “strengthen Ford’s business in Europe and return it to profitable growth”.

Ford’s engine plants at Dagenham, Essex, and Bridgend, South Wales — that employ over 6,000 workers — are expected to escape cuts and could even see growth plans.

Europe’s car industry is suffering from huge over-capacity at its plants due to a fall in new car sales.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz2AH7izM5C

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midnight update

Ford Calls Trade Unions' Meeting Amid Fears of Southampton Plant Closure - IB Times
By Prasanth Aby Thomas
October 25, 2012 7:04 AM GMT

US automobile company Ford will meet trade union representatives in the UK as fears of closure of its Transit van manufacturing plant in Southampton loom.

The company, which has struggled to cope with the eurozone debt crisis, had earlier announced plans to shut its Belgian plant, laying off 4,300 employees.

Speculations were on that Ford might announce plans to close the Southampton factory, which employs 500 people, at the trade union meeting. The carmaker has refused to confirm the reports...

...The last time Ford called an all trade union meeting in 2007 was to announce plans to shut its Leamington foundry site, which resulted in 450 redundancies, reported the Guardian, citing industry sources.

The fears were underscored by Conservative MP for Romsey and Southampton North, Caroline Nokes, who told the BBC that she has "always had concerns for the future of the factory and it now looks like there will be an announcement tomorrow indicating that it's going to close"...

MORE...

[2b2]

UPDATE 3 - Ford may cut more capacity if Europe outlook worsens - Reuters
Wed Nov 7, 2012
By Andreas Cremer and Jan Schwartz
Ford says further European cuts not ruled out
• No further cutbacks currently planned
• European auto market still 'volatile' -CEO
• 170 protesters burn tires, smash windows in Cologne

BERLIN, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co, which plans to close three factories and scrap 6,200 jobs in Europe to stanch losses, said on Wednesday it cannot rule out further capacity cuts in the region if the auto market deteriorates further.

While Ford has no current plans for further capacity cuts - which can range from dropping a factory shift to closing a plant - the automaker is monitoring Europe's market and economic outlook very closely, Chief Executive Alan Mulally said.

"That will determine what we do - if we do anything more," Mulally said at a conference in Berlin. "The most important thing is to match our production to the level of demand."...

EUROPE IS 'VOLATILE'
The situation in Europe remains "very volatile," Mulally said in Berlin. "We don't know whether it will stabilize or hit bottom or not because it's continuing to decrease."...

..."We needed to move decisively, also to be able to invest in new products," Mulally said. "If you don't do that, you continue to lose money and will be gone."

Ford rival General Motors, which is forging an alliance with struggling French automaker PSA Peugeot Citroen , remains mired in talks with Germany's IG Metall labor union over plans to cut jobs at its Opel division and close a plant in Germany in 2017.


MORE...

[nruggiero]

^You got to do what got to do in order to have a successful business.

Good move, Ford.