UK / Honda cuts 800 jobs at Swindon

Honda is cutting 800 jobs in Swindon as the shrinking European car market forces the company into its first ever UK job cuts.

Honda blamed the slump in European sales as it announced it will cut its Swindon workforce by almost a quarter, months after hiring hundreds of new employees.

“It’s entirely the car market,” said Honda Europe’s executive vice-president Ken Keir, who said demand in the European car market shrank by 1m last year.

“We’re not anticipating in mainland Europe any particular growth in the next three or four years,” Keir told the BBC.

The Unite union called the decision a “hammer blow” for those affected and the Swindon economy, and pointed out that 325 temporary workers also left the company recently.

“It’s a tragedy for our members and their families,” said Unite national officer Tony Murphy. “There’s no doubt these cuts will have a significant knock-on impact on the supply chain, and on local shops and services.”

Choosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor from

via Honda cuts 800 jobs at Swindon as European car sales slump | Business | guardian.co.uk.