JLR announces two-week Solihull shutdown

Jaguar Land Rover is to shut its Solihull manufacturing plant for two weeks in October in response to weakening demand from the Chinese market.

The plant will cease operations on October 22nd, though workers will continue to be paid for the duration of the shutdown. The news follows shortly on the back of a decision to move 2,000 workers at the company’s Castle Bromwich plant to a three day week, prompted by Brexit uncertainty, consumer hesitation over diesel and slowing demand for JLR’s vehicles.  

“Government ministers’ trashing of diesel, despite the UK making some of the cleanest engines in the world, combined with their shambolic handling of Brexit is damaging the UK car industry and the supply chain,” Unite national officer Des Quinn, commented. 

“Add into the mix the government’s half-hearted support for the transition to electric and alternatively powered cars and you have a triple whammy facing the UK’s car workers. Over the past decade Jaguar Land Rover workers have worked tirelessly to turn the carmaker’s fortunes around. Ministers now risk turning them and their colleagues in the supply chain from hero to zero.”