Almost 200 jobs axed at JLR plant in Merseyside
Just under 200 workers at Jaguar Land Rover’s plant in Halewood are to lose their jobs.
It has been revealed that 180 agency workers are being laid off but the owners say the factory still has a bright future.
Agency DHL has revealed it is cutting the number of workers it employs at the factory.
The news has come just a few days after it was announced that the new generation Evoque will be built in Merseyside.
DHL told the Liverpool Echo that the cuts were pre-planned and have come at the end of a busy period.
Around 6,000 people work at the Halewood site and two thirds of those are employed directly by Jaguar Land Tover.
A letter has been sent to the agency staff who are losing their jobs.
It said the decision was linked to a change in shifts and added “there is a requirement to review all current headcounts and amend accordingly”.
It added: “These events were always pre-planned as the launch phases run their natural course and impact to the end of December.
“The impact of this is a reduction in our overall headcount by the end of the year of 180 through a reduction in agency workers.”
A spokesperson for DHL Supply Chain said: “The flexibility of a temporary agency workforce means we can provide extra support during peak periods of activity.
“At Halewood, we are coming out of a particularly busy period and returning to a baseline level of staffing provision. This does mean we will be bringing to an end the short-term assignments of some of the team.”
Last week JLR said the decision to manufacture the new Evoke in Speke will safeguard the factory for generations.
JLR chief executive Dr Ralf Speth said: “The Range Rover Evoque has been a fundamental driver in Jaguar Land Rover’s global success.
“Since it first rolled off the Halewood production line we have exported 80% of all we have made.
“Our commitment to UK production remains firm and the new Evoque benefits from a £1bn investment.
“With this, we are introducing new technology and Range Rover refinement into the luxury compact SUV segment that the original model created.”
JLR said of the new Evoque: “An entirely new architecture delivers Range Rover refinement, with agile on-road handling and world class off-road capability.”
