JCB warn of risk of redundancies at Wrexham plant after coronavirus halves production
JCB have warned that jobs are at risk at its Wrexham plant after a drop in demand as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The company said up to 950 people could be made redundant across its 10 UK plants, including its site Wrexham which employs around 400 workers.
JCB CEO Graeme MacDonald said the company ''had no choice but to take difficult decisions to adapt to this new economic reality'' after a fall in production.
''In 2020 we had planned to sell and produce over 100,000 machines. With so much uncertainty that figure right now is looking more like 50,000 machines.
''It is deeply regrettable that we had to take these steps to restructure the business and that it will have an impact on so many people.
''No business could have anticipated he scale of the COVID-19 crisis and its economic consequences. JCB has had to act quickly for the long-term survival of the business, which has been at the heart of our decision-making throughout this difficult period.”
A 45-day consultation over the proposed JCB job losses will begin on Monday, May 18, when discussions with staff representatives will start.
The vast majority of JCB’s employees are currently furloughed until the end of May after production at UK factories stopped in March in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.