Holden to Shed 1400 Jobs

[Salem]

WORKERS at Holden's Elizabeth plant in South Australia were told at 7pm last night that 1400 jobs will be lost after Holden's board made a decision to cut production.

A statement issued to employees yesterday said changes to local sales and export projections showed the company was over-sized for the number of cars it produced.



The Elizabeth workforce will be reduced from 5700 to 4300 employees. The third shift of 1000 positions will be wound down in December and another 400 positions will be cut by mid next year when preparations are complete for the new Commodore. A statement to workers from chairman and managing director Denny Mooney and executive manufacturing director Rod Keane says the third shift, introduced in 2003, is "no longer sustainable".

"To minimise impact, employees in all three shifts in Adelaide are being asked to consider voluntary separation packages," the statement says.

Sales figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show Holden sold 41,673 Commodores between January 1 and the end of July.

This compared with 44,650 during the same period last year.


The company is understood to have informed the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union at 6pm – one hour before car assemblers were handed notices.

AMWU state secretary John Camillo refused to comment last night, but a member of the union executive said: "The writing has been on the wall for some time. Holden is simply building more cars than it is selling.

"But the company is not going to get away with reducing the workforce by 1400."

The union will be fighting for all retrenchments to be the subject of voluntary separation packages with no forced layoffs. The company statement said all employee entitlements were defined and protected under the 2004 enterprise bargaining agreement.

"We will provide a range of benefits for employees choosing to leave, including access to financial and outplacement support, as well as counselling if required."

A worker who contacted The Advertiser last night said management handed the statement to workers about 10pm and were then advised to go home. "There was just a stunned silence when we were told," the employee, who would not be named, said. "I've worked at Holden for over 10 years now and it's not really an option for me to take a separation package. I've got a mortgage to pay and a family to look after."

Taken From www.news.com.au

[Bloodmoon]

Not good at all. But wot can ya do. Life goes on......

[satos]

china wins again.

[Whitey]

any holden workers here get handed the notice ??

[tourist]

Hi Guys and gals.
I'm a new member who found this site by accident.

I had been remembering this time about 25 years ago when I also was handed a finish up notice from GMH.

I had been employed at Pagewood and had worked my way up from a line worker to an inspector mechanic and some time roadtester.

This was to be where I worked for the rest of my life.
I loved working for the General and had made some good mates whilst working there.
I took the option of transferring to the Acacia Ridge plant in Brisbane , a few others workmates also took up this option ,while plenty of others decided to just take a redundancy package.

It was a big move for my wife and 2 children to up stakes and start again in another state.

Unfortunately it didn't work out for me and left GMH after a month or so.
The feeling for me just wasn't there any more.

If anything good did come out of the Pagewood plant closing down it was the fact that I'd moved up here to Queensland which I must say I love now after a hesitant start up here.

GMH was a family affair for me as my Mum and Dad and sister all worked at the Pagewood plant in various office admin roles.

Often wonder what became of the people that moved up here with me and also the hundreds that were shattered on learning of the closure of the Pagewood plant.

Hope to hear from any of you that may have worked in the Sydney plant between 1974 to the closure on August 1980.

[rattattack1313]

Better get down there and sort them out, Darren......lool......

[r00ns]

Originally Posted by satos

china wins again.

How do you come to that conclusion?

[steweyau]

Interesting thread this.

I was talking about this with my father who drives for toll shifting cars from elizabeth to wherever. What has happened is the third shift which was started about three years ago (while interest rates were low) has been cancelled. I guess they're going back to 'normal production'.

As interest rates go up (imagined or real) people are not buying new cars. We have also had a property boom. People look at the value of their house and think 'hmmm I've got a heap of money in my house think I'll refinace and buy a new car'.

ALl of a sudden we have a huge demand for new cars. At one stage Toll had 5 semis of cars going to Brisbane every day. About the same went to Sydney. Some got on the train. And to meet demand some got put in containers to go from Adelaide arond to Sydney or Brisbane by sea. Then they exported some. THat's a hell of lot of car manufacturing.

The property boom seems to be over, interest rate seem to be going up, therefore people don;t want to buy a new car.

just my 2 cents worth.

cheer
Stewey

[r00ns]

great theory stewey.not bad at all.
Unfortunatley its incorrect but it was good none the less......

[RVN 355]

That sux Holdens are get rid of workers like everywhere else its getting bad and crap! hope the gmh elizabeth workers find work in other places.

[r00ns]

The thing that annoys me the most is that Holden told holden employees at the time that midnight shift would be a project that wouldnt last longer then 5 years but they didnt tell the new employees they hired for the midnight shift selection the full details.

[steweyau]

Originally Posted by r00ns

great theory stewey.not bad at all.
Unfortunatley its incorrect but it was good none the less......

so what are your thoughts????


cheers

[r00ns]

Like i said,The third shift was not going to last longer then 5 years.This was stated before it commenced.