Car firm halts production for two months
Published Date:
21 November 2008
JAPANESE car giant Honda will halt production at its UK plant for two months next year as the economic downturn sends demand for new vehicles plummeting.
Production at Honda's plant at Swindon will be halted in February and March, although none of the 4,800 workers will be laid off despite the company reporting a "dramatic change" in the global market.
Total car production fell by 25 per cent in the UK last month, the lowest October level since 1991, while commercial vehicle building slumped by 41 per cent, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Honda had already planned to have 13 non-production days at Swindon next February but has decided to extend the cutback and will also scale back carmaking at two plants in Japan and the United States.
A company spokesman said there would be no redundancies at Swindon and workers would still be paid. The plant produces the Civic and CR-V models and is due to start production of the small car Jazz next autumn.
The spokesman said Honda wanted to keep the workforce intact in readiness for the new car.
Honda said it was reducing car production at Swindon in the current financial year from an originally announced 228,000 units to 175,000 units.
The full article contains 221 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
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Last Updated:
21 November 2008 3:53 PM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Yorkshire
