Honda plant in Swindon to cut 500 jobs

Car maker Honda has announced that it's scaling back production at its Swindon plant with the loss of up to five hundred jobs - 340 employees and a further 160 agency workers.

The company, which employs three thousand people in the town, is cutting the number of shifts from three to two. It blames a slump in European sales. The Unite union says staff are bewildered and angry - Robert Murphy takes up the story.

Honda is to cut production at its UK factory in Swindon from three shifts to two, threatening 340 jobs.

Jim D'Avila, from Unite union, says the staff are bewildered and angry:

Honda's senior vice president, Ian Howells, blames a slump in sales in Europe for the decision to scale back production at the Swindon car plant, with the loss of 340 jobs.

He told our political correspondent Bob Constantine that he expected the downturn to last for "one or two years", but denied that Honda had been too optimistic about the market in the past:

Read: 340 jobs under threat at Swindon Honda factory

Honda is to cut production at its Swindon factory from three shifts to two, threatening 340 jobs, the company said today.

Honda have released this statement with regards to 300 jobs potentially being lost at their Swindon plant:

Around 500 jobs are under threat as the Honda plant in Swindon are to cut productions.

340 Honda jobs and 160 agency staff could potentially lose their jobs at the Wiltshire based plant.

Most cars built at the Wiltshire based plant are exported and sales in other countries have not been as strong as in the UK.

Honda say it will enter into consultation on the proposal.

As well as moving to two shifts, production will be consolidated on to one line, to "improve production, flexibility and efficiency" while production volumes continue at the current level.

The car manufacturer has been in Swindon since 1992.