WORKERS at Jaguar Land Rover’s Castle Bromwich factory are being told they’re going to a three-day week until Christmas.
JLR said it was making “temporary adjustments to our production schedules” at the factory.
The car manufacturing company told The Obsever there will be no job losses.
The company employs thousands of both full-time and agency workers at sites across the West Midlands including in Castle Bromwich, Wolverhampton, its head office in Coventry and Solihull.
Jack Dromey, the Labour MP for Erdington, blamed “Brexit chaos and the mishandling by ministers of the transition from diesel” for the move.
He tweeted: “The historic Castle Bromwich @Jaguar plant will now go onto a 3-day week until Xmas, a combination of #Brexit chaos and the mishandling by Ministers of the transition from diesel. #Brexit now threatens the jewel in the crown of #British manufacturing excellence”
JLR said in a statement: “As is standard business practice, Jaguar Land Rover regularly reviews its production schedules to ensure market demand is balanced globally.
“In light of the continuing headwinds impacting the car industry, we are making some temporary adjustments to our production schedules at Castle Bromwich.
“We are however continuing to over-proportionally invest in new products and technologies, and are committed to our UK plants in which we have invested more than £4bn since 2010 to future proof manufacturing technologies to deliver new models.”
Last week, JLR boss Ralf Speth warned the government to get “the right Brexit” or risk big job cuts at the carmaker and wiping out its profits.
Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke said: “Today’s (September 17) announcement from Jaguar Land Rover regarding Castle Bromwich follows on the warning last week from JLR CEO Ralf Speth about the future of JLR in the UK in the event of a ‘hard Brexit’ and a bad Brexit deal.
“This is the continuing effect of the chaotic mismanagement of the Brexit negotiations by the government which has created uncertainty across the UK’s automotive industry and the manufacturing sector generally.
“It is also the result of the mishandling of how the UK makes a just transition from diesel and combustion engines to electric vehicles. Both issues have damaged the ‘jewel in the crown’ of UK manufacturing – our automotive industry.
“The situation is not helped when you have arch-Brexiteer MP Sir Bernard Jenkin accusing Ralf Speth of ‘making it up’ when it comes to Brexit and the car industry.
“Jenkins’ comments are highly irresponsible and misinformed when future employment is at stake and are entering into the world of fantasy economics.
“The government’s failure to grasp the needs of the automotive industry were further highlighted when prime minister Theresa May recently unveiled a £106million funding package for the research and development of zero-emission vehicles. This, frankly, is peanuts.”
Unite senior convenor at JLR Castle Bromwich Mick Livingstone said: “Rather than Tory MPs, who have no idea what they are talking about sniping from the sidelines, they need to wake up and recognise the shambles they have created and the damage they are doing to the UK auto industry.”
