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Ford workers in protest walkout | Ford workers in protest walkout |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Workers at the Ford Transit factory in Southampton have downed tools in a protest over the firm's future plans. | Workers at the Ford Transit factory in Southampton have downed tools in a protest over the firm's future plans. |
The company branded the walkout by up to 100 of the 500 staff on site on Monday as "unconstitutional" and having "no legal basis". | The company branded the walkout by up to 100 of the 500 staff on site on Monday as "unconstitutional" and having "no legal basis". |
Employees left at 1200 BST - two hours before the end of their shifts. | Employees left at 1200 BST - two hours before the end of their shifts. |
The factory has already implemented a four-day week due to "softening market conditions". Ford also wants to cut production by about 50% by 2011. | |
A Ford spokesman said: "This is taken seriously as an unnecessary distraction from the task in hand - satisfying Transit customers in a shrunken and tough market." | A Ford spokesman said: "This is taken seriously as an unnecessary distraction from the task in hand - satisfying Transit customers in a shrunken and tough market." |
Future fears | Future fears |
He stopped short of promising that workers would face disciplinary action but said the company would respond with the "right reaction". | He stopped short of promising that workers would face disciplinary action but said the company would respond with the "right reaction". |
"The plant was not fully manned and it obviously had some impact on delivering what our customers need," he added. | "The plant was not fully manned and it obviously had some impact on delivering what our customers need," he added. |
The Unite union has said it feared future plans could lead to the long-term closure of the Hampshire plant, which employs 1,100 people. | The Unite union has said it feared future plans could lead to the long-term closure of the Hampshire plant, which employs 1,100 people. |
It opposed the introduction of the four-day week, brought in at the start of this month until the end of the year, in response to the downturn in the market. | |
Ford said it was planning to continue making the Transit panel van at the plant until 2011. | Ford said it was planning to continue making the Transit panel van at the plant until 2011. |
After that it wants to use the site to only make the "chassis cab" version of the Transit, cutting production from 75,000 to 35,000 a year. |
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