Jaguar Land rover UK production sites safe until at least 2020

Hundred of British Jobs will be created after Jaguar Land rover announced its plans to invest millions of pounds in its businesses which means the future of the companies three U.K. factories has been secured. The decision follows a dramatic turn around in the company’s fortunes over the last year and will also lead to JLR hiring 2000 new employers

The deal which safeguards jobs and promises substantial investment even the Union leaders who negotiated it needed to see it in black and white to make sure it was real. After two years to forget for Jaguar Land rover workers the U turn over a factory closure by its owners was something few would have believed possible.

This is a triumph for Britain and Birmingham tens of thousands of jobs will be created or secured as a consequence. A great day!

Jaguar Land rover has committed itself to maintaining its United Kingdom production sites until at least 2020, it will invest 5 BN pounds in new models and upgraded facilities and will be creating 1500 new jobs at Halewood with more to follow at Solihull and Birmingham and this from a company which had been shedding staff and fighting to survive. Keeping the two plants open is a clear statement of commitment from TATA the Indian listed owner of JLR

No body expected this at all, all we had heard up to now was gloom and doom about the place closing, but today has been a breath of fresh air to everybody. There is still a long way to go yet. We are still not out of recession but we are getting there and we have to move forward in the years to come. Everybody is absolutely delighted, we have had two years everyone has been working on edge, living on the edge have we got a job or haven’t we got a job. We nearly went out of business about 18 months ago.

In recent months Jaguar Land rover has had a large increase in sales thanks to new models and market conditions. Having survived the recession it’s clearly ready to move up a gear. Its fair to say that the workforce here in castle Bromwich had expected to hear nothing but bad news from Jaguar Land rover management although it had never been stated, the prediction was that this would be the site for closure. And that is what makes this announcement so surprising. The agreement with the unions means that all new staff will have to agree to more flexible contracts. This news has wider significance in that it will safeguard thousands more jobs in many of the companies supplying parts and accessories to the factories.

When the current news is dominated by gloom and spending cuts, its refreshing to hear something good for a change.