One of the UK’s biggest unions has said that more than half the 1,700 workers at Ford’s Bridgend plant want to stay in a job rather than face redundancy.
GMB is now calling on the UK Government to fight hard to try and keep the jobs in South Wales and to not allow Ford to ‘tiptoe’ away from their obligations. The union had discussions with Business Secretary Greg Clarke, Welsh economy minister Ken Skates and Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns on Monday, the same day that workers returned to the plant since the company announced the decision.
Mike Payne, GMB senior organiser, said: "Ford workers are heading back the plant today for the first time since the company's disgraceful decision to announce the closure of the factory.
"The company must not be allowed to tiptoe away from Bridgend leaving a decimated community in its wake.
"More than half of the workforce are desperate to stay at Bridgend. If Ford think they can slink away, they've got another thing coming.
"Ford must fulfil their obligations to the dedicated workforce in Bridgend."
The demise of the UK motor industry has been responsible for a sharp decline in the UK economy already in 2019, with industry analysts reporting that planned closures at BMW, Peugeot, Vauxhall and Jaguar Land Rover were responsible for the economy seeing its biggest fall since June 2002.