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Ford to cut up to 3,200 jobs in Europe

By Nagasunder in UK Employment news, posted January 24, 2023

Ford Motors has revealed plans to cut up to 3,200 jobs across Europe and shift some product development work to the United States.

Rising battery material costs and projected slowdowns in the US and European economies are putting pressure on automakers to cut costs.

According to IG Metall, the company plans to cut up to 2,500 jobs in product development and 700 in administrative roles, with German locations being the most affected.

Analysts say Tesla's EV price war, which began earlier this month, has increased the pressure.

According to the metalworkers union IG Metall, the company plans to cut up to 2,500 jobs in product development and 700 in administrative roles, with German locations being the most affected.

Workers at the American automaker's plant in the city of Cologne, which employs approximately 14,000 people - 3,800 of whom work at a development center - were informed of the plans on Monday.

Ford's spokesperson in Germany declined to comment, referring to a statement in which the company stated that the transition to electric vehicle (EV) production necessitates structural changes and that more information would be provided once plans were finalized.

According to a spokesperson at the automaker's headquarters in Michigan, talks with the German works councils are ongoing, and the company needs to be "more competitive" as it transitions to EVs. He would not discuss specific job plans.

Ford announced a $2 billion investment last year to expand production at its Cologne plant in order to produce an all-electric model for the mass market.

The Ford Fiesta, as well as its engines and transmissions, are currently made at the plant.

The carmaker, which employs around 45,000 people in Europe, is planning seven new electric models, a battery assembly site in Germany, and a nickel cell manufacturing joint venture in Turkey.

It also has a six-year agreement with Volkswagen to produce 1.2 million vehicles on the German automaker's MEB electric platform.

That collaboration continues, according to Ford and Volkswagen representatives, though Ford's US spokesperson added that Volkswagen's role in Ford's next generation of European electric vehicles is still unknown.

In June, Ford warned of "significant" job cuts in the near future at its factory in Spain and its plant in Saarlouis, Germany, as the shift to EV production meant fewer labor hours were required to assemble cars.

For the first nine months of 2022, Ford's pretax profit margins in Europe were 2.2 percent of sales, far below levels in North America. It also issued a warning in October about Europe's deteriorating economic conditions.

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"If negotiations between the works council and management in coming weeks do not ensure the future of workers, we will join the process," IG Metall said.

"We will not hold back from measures that could seriously impact the company, not just in Germany but Europe-wide."

Ford shares were up 3.9 percent to $12.89 in New York on Monday afternoon. General Motors' stock rose 3.1 percent to $36.45, while Tesla's stock rose 7.6 percent to $143.60.

Source: Reuters

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