Honda has confirmed the closure of its factory in England, as well as the loss of 3,500 jobs
On Monday, Japanese car manufacturer Honda announced its intention to close its Swindon plant amid unfavourable trading conditions brought about by “unprecedented changes in the global automotive industry”.
This news has since been confirmed, with the company expected to relocate production to Japan, which can guarantee tariff-free exports to the European Union as a result of a trade deal signed between the two parties recently.
One employee who has worked at the Honda factory in question for 24 years was interviewed by Channel 4 News, describing the entire Brexit situation as “idiocy of epic proportions”.
Forty-four days away from Brexit and they haven't got a clue."
A Honda worker accuses the government of "completely incompetent handling" of Brexit and "idiocy of epic proportions". pic.twitter.com/BxWRi10YcO
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) February 18, 2019
The car manufacturer posted a statement on their official website, explaining the situation in more detail:
“Honda has today announced it will restructure its global manufacturing network. This restructure comes as Honda accelerates its commitment to electrified cars, in response to the unprecedented changes in the global automotive industry.
“The significant challenges of electrification will see Honda revise its global manufacturing operations, and focus activity in regions where it expects to have high production volumes.
“As a result, Honda of the UK Manufacturing Ltd. has today informed employees of its proposal to close its Swindon vehicle manufacturing plant in the UK in 2021, at the end of the current model’s production lifecycle.
“The plant currently produces 150,000 cars per year, and employs approximately 3,500 people. Consultation activity will begin today with potentially affected employees.
“The global restructure will also involve Honda’s automobile operations in Turkey. Honda Turkiye A.S. currently produces 38,000 units per year.
“The company will cease manufacturing current Civic sedan model in 2021 and intends to continue its business operations. Honda Turkiye A.S. will continue to hold constructive dialogue with Turkish stakeholders during this period.
“Katsushi Inoue, Chief Officer for European Regional Operations, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and President, Honda Motor Europe said; ‘In light of the unprecedented changes that are affecting our industry, it is vital that we accelerate our electrification strategy and restructure our global operations accordingly. As a result, we have had to take this difficult decision to consult our workforce on how we might prepare our manufacturing network for the future. This has not been taken lightly and we deeply regret how unsettling today’s announcement will be for our people.’
“Honda’s European HQ will continue to be located in the UK. It will be focused on serving the needs of our European customers.”
