Jaguar to shutdown Midlands plant for three weeks
Dec 15 2008 by Jon Griffin, Birmingham Mail
ALL production at Jaguar’s Castle Bromwich factory is to shut down for three weeks over Christmas and New Year in the latest blow to Midland manufacturing, it was revealed today.
Workers who finish for their holiday break this Friday will not produce any further cars until January 12 in a three-week halt to car-making at the Birmingham plant.
The prolonged standstill at Jaguar virtually mirrors the festive shutdown at stablemate Land Rover, with Lode Lane closing for Christmas at the end of December 23 until January 12, an extra week of non-production.
Manufacturing at both Solihull and Castle Bromwich is being curtailed as the Tata-owned group battles to avoid stockpiling of vehicles, with the UK automotive sector facing its worst sales environment for decades.
Workers on Jaguar’s XJ and XK lines have been on a four-day production week for the last two months, with Fridays dedicated to training and maintenance work only.
