Honda UK cuts 800 jobs
Following a slow down in European car sales for the Japanese car maker, Honda UK has announced up to 800 job losses at its Swindon factory.
Dave Hodgetts, Honda UK's managing director said the UK needed to stay close to the heart of Europe and warned the UK risks losing out if a subsequent referendum voted for the UK to leave. This comment was made at a time when David Cameron looks to renegotiate the country's relationship with the EU.
Some analysts have pointed out that other UK car manufacturers like Jaguar Land Rover and Rolls Royce are doing well because their sales are to the fastest growing markets like China and the US with some analysts are blaming difficulties in the Eurozone economies for the carmaker's lacklustre sales. The Swindon plant makes cars solely for sale in Europe
Other analysts, like Richard Hammond are putting the blame squarely back on Honda, saying, “Honda needs to build more cars that people really want”, pointing to the Civic as a “once fantastic family hatch that hasn't moved forward for the last few generations,”.
He added, “There's nothing seriously wrong with the car but you'd struggle to find a really good reason to buy one over other competent rivals,” before summing up, “Being average isn't good enough”.
The silver lining for the unemployed production line workers in Swindon is that Jaguar Land Rover has announced the creation of 800 jobs at its Solihull, Birmingham plant to cope with its increased global demand.
