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News24 reports that the Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa has announced that it will be retrenching about 470 of its employees, including at its Struandale Engine Plant and the Silverton Assembly Plant.
In a statement on Wednesday, Ford said that it regretted the decision and would offer voluntary severance packages to workers. “These changes are part of our ongoing efforts to optimise production and respond to evolving market demands. Ford is committed to transparent and respectful engagement with its employees and is currently consulting with representative unions through the required consultative processes regarding these proposed changes,” it said. The company currently employs 4,535 workers at its assembly plant in Pretoria where it produces its popular Ranger model, and 749 workers at its engine plant in Gqeberha.
Trade union Solidarity confirmed that Ford had sent a notice to unions and workers, informing them that workers would be retrenched. The union said that 391 operator positions in Silverton, 73 at Struandale, and 10 administrative positions would be impacted. The union’s deputy secretary-general Willie Venter commented: “We see this announcement as possibly the beginning of greater job losses facing the entire automotive industry in South Africa.”
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Na'ilah Ebrahim at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)
- Read too, Ford cutting jobs in South Africa, at Daily Investor
Get other news reports at the SA LabourNews home page