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| Jaguar announces 300 job losses | Jaguar announces 300 job losses |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Car manufacturer Jaguar has announced it is to axe up to 300 jobs at its Halewood plant on Merseyside. | Car manufacturer Jaguar has announced it is to axe up to 300 jobs at its Halewood plant on Merseyside. |
| The job losses come as it plans to end production of its X-Type model at the Jaguar Land Rover factory, which employs more than 2,000 workers. | The job losses come as it plans to end production of its X-Type model at the Jaguar Land Rover factory, which employs more than 2,000 workers. |
| Voluntary redundancies will be followed by a three-week shutdown due to "ongoing weaknesses in the industry". | Voluntary redundancies will be followed by a three-week shutdown due to "ongoing weaknesses in the industry". |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "We are trying to do what we can to replace lost jobs." | |
| Discussing the issue in the House of Commons, Mr Brown said he hoped the Halewood plant would have a long-term future. | |
| Our industry has been especially badly hit by the recession and the premium sector more than others David Smith, chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover | |
| The Prime Minister added: "We... want to secure a future for Halewood and we have offered Jaguar Land Rover a grant of £27m toward the development of what are low-carbon Land Rovers at this plant, they would be produced there." | |
| Jaguar Land Rover said it would be seeking voluntary redundancies at the plant, which will close for three weeks as part of an extended summer shutdown starting in September. | |
| David Smith, chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover, said the latest job cuts were "necessary to protect other investment plans". | |
| He said: "Our industry has been especially badly hit by the recession and the premium sector more than others. | He said: "Our industry has been especially badly hit by the recession and the premium sector more than others. |
| "Jaguar Land Rover's retail sales fell by 28% in the past 10 months. | "Jaguar Land Rover's retail sales fell by 28% in the past 10 months. |
| "We have taken unprecedented actions to cut costs including reduced production volumes, significant cuts to investment plans and some 2,200 job losses. | "We have taken unprecedented actions to cut costs including reduced production volumes, significant cuts to investment plans and some 2,200 job losses. |
| "Ceasing production of the X-Type early, with further redundancies and temporary shutdowns at Halewood is necessary to protect our other investment plans." | "Ceasing production of the X-Type early, with further redundancies and temporary shutdowns at Halewood is necessary to protect our other investment plans." |
| Mr Smith confirmed that any further actions will be determined by the state of the market in the coming months. | Mr Smith confirmed that any further actions will be determined by the state of the market in the coming months. |