Jaguar Land Rover to cut their working week

17 September 2018, 15:16 | Updated: 17 September 2018, 15:18

Jaguar Land Rover is reducing production at one of its plants in the West Midlands following Brexit concerns.

Britain's biggest carmaker says it's going down to a three-day week at Castle Bromwich from October until the start of December.

Below is the statment JLR have released this afternoon:

"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."

Meanwhile Union Unite have also issued a statement:

Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke said: "Today's (Monday 17 September) 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 £106 million 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."