Car giant Honda has confirmed plans to shut its factory in Swindon in 2021 with the loss of 3,500 jobs. The Japanese firm told workers it proposed to close the vehicle manufacturing plant at the end of the current model’s production lifecycle. The plant currently produces 150,000 cars a year. A statement said: ‘This proposal comes as Honda accelerates its commitment to electrified cars, in response to the unprecedented changes in the global automotive industry.
‘The significant challenges of electrification will see Honda revise its global manufacturing operations, and focus activity in regions where it expects to have high production volumes.’ Honda said under the proposed restructure, the current role of its UK manufacturing business (HUM) as a global manufacturing hub may no longer be viable. There was no mention of Brexit in Honda’s statement. Katsushi Inoue, Honda’s chief officer for European Regional Operations and President, Honda Motor Europe said: ‘In light of the unprecedented changes that are affecting our industry, it is vital that we accelerate our electrification strategy and restructure our global operations accordingly. ‘As a result, we have had to take this difficult decision to consult our workforce on how we might prepare our manufacturing network for the future. This has not been taken lightly and we deeply regret how unsettling today’s announcement will be for our people.’ HUM director, Jason Smith, said; ‘We understand the impact this proposal will have on our associates, wider supplier base and the local community. We are committed to supporting associates to help them through this difficult time.’
