Jobs at risk at automotive supply business

Jobs are at risk at automotive supply business Autoneum, which has plants in Halesowen and Stoke-on-Trent.

The Switzerland-headquartered business makes in-vehicle acoustic and thermal insulation and has customers including Toyota and Jaguar Land Rover.

The company said it needs to “realign its activities and workforce” in response to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the automotive industry and that redundancies will be in the “low double-digit numbers”.

Therefore the company has announced potential redundancies at its three UK sites – Halesowen, Stoke, and Heckmondwike in West Yorkshire.

The company employs around 100 staff at its Halesowen site and 140 at the Trentham facility in Stoke.

Autoneum said the the number of potential redundancies at both sites is in the “low double-digit region”.

In a statement, the company said: “As a consequence of the corona pandemic, the automotive industry and Autoneum as a supplier to all major vehicle manufacturers are facing a significant, unprecedented market decline and production levels that are forecasted to remain low in the coming years.

“Autoneum has to realign its activities and workforce to this new market reality. We have unfortunately had to announce some potential redundancies at all three of our sites in the UK.

“This includes our manufacturing site in Stoke-on-Trent, where we employ around 140 employees. The number of potential redundancies in Stoke is in the low double-digit region. Autoneum is not closing any sites in the UK at this time.

“It is our highest priority to safeguard the long-term future of our Stoke plant. Even if we have to take difficult decisions, we act responsibly towards our overall workforce.”

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