Car production at Land Rover’s Solihull
plant looks secure today as unions announced the result of a ballot on its
‘road map’ plan for changes at the site.
Sixty-three per cent of
more than 6,000 workers voted ‘yes’, which should secure 11,500 jobs at the
plant.
Kevin Curran, GMB general
secretary, said: "After the shock of [closures at] Jaguar, this will offer
some stability to British car manufacturing and thousands of vital jobs in the
region."
The road map is the result of a
series of intensive discussions between unions and senior executives at Land
Rover. It aims to improve competitiveness at the Solihull
plant, and will involve changes to processes and working practices.
Dave Osborne, national secretary
of the Transport and General Workers’ union, added: "The changes will
bring Land Rover working practices more in line with those already in existence
at other Ford-owned plants."
The road map was drawn up by
managers and unions at the request of parent company Ford. Video cameras will
be installed to monitor work, and music will be banned, according to BBC
reports.
Other measures include
‘bell-to-bell’ working, whereby staff will not be able to down their tools
until their shift is over – even if they have filled their quota.
It is also suggested that the
number of shop stewards will be cut from 120 to 85, and the company aims to cut
absenteeism from 5 per cent to 3 per cent.
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