Unions fear document spells end for Southampton's Ford Transit factory

They say a top secret company document leaked to the Daily Echo shows the plant may be being earmarked for closure.

The confidential paperwork maps out Ford’s longterm plans for its European factories, including Swaythling.

According to the union bosses it shows the future looks grim for the plant and that it is not being singled out for any major works over the coming year.

Last night Ford denied the plant was in jeopardy and vowed its on-going commitment to the factory.

The company pledge came after union officials claimed the 1,100 workers should start preparing themselves for a bleak future.

The official document at the centre of the controversy is entitled Ford's European Cycle Plan Actions – a chart for 2005 to 2009 showing planned changes to the company’s manufacturing sites.

Most of the proposals for the European plants listed in the document include details of how a plan is going to be prepared for future work, including refurbishment, staff negotiations and when a new workload is due to take place.

However, the chart for Southampton shows no progress going forward into 2009 – which unions claim marks the possible end for the factory.

Other British Ford plants shown on the document in a similar way include Solihull in the Midlands and Halewood on Merseyside, both of which have been sold.

When Unite union boss Dave Osborne was shown the document, he said: “It confirms our worst fears.

This is proof that Ford plans to close the plant and has a long-term strategy to exit the UK.

“Southampton has a highly skilled and loyal workforce who made incredible efficiencies and they are going to feel completely betrayed by this damning information.

“This shows that Ford has had plans to close the plant since long before the economic downturn.”

He added the motor giant’s promises of a long-term future had no credibility claiming it had a history of “saying one thing and doing another”.

The latest controversy comes as Ford announced a further ten production down days that will see some workers not being at the plant at all throughout February – reducing the plant to just a third of its capacity.

Workers said they feared even more downtime was to come.

It also follows weeks after the plant shutdown for a month over Christmas for the first time.

Production has fallen from 75,664 vehicles in 2007 to just 66,215 in 2008 and the Daily Echo understands daily output has fallen from 375 to just 162.

As many as 125 short-term workers have been axed and other staff put on a fourday- week.

The first sign of question marks over the giant Southampton plant were in July when the Daily Echo exclusively published a leaked company memo that revealed the factory was under review.

It was also reveal that manufacturing of the iconic Transit van was being transferred to Turkey and that Southampton staff would only make 35,000 chassis cabs for vans.

Union convenor Colin Ryan said the leaked document was “undeniable proof” the company wanted to close Southampton.

A Ford spokesman said: “I would not comment on what is a Ford confidential document other than to say it is an old document and I don’t believe it contradicts our plans for Southampton.

“I would however, restate what I have previously said, that the (chassis cab) plan is due to go before the company for approval and the building the chassis cab in Southampton is part of the new Transit model programme.

“The company has worked very hard to find a viable option to keep the Southampton plant going. The chassis cab plan is due to be rolled out in 2011 and it should be presumed, at the moment, this will be the case for the product's lifespan.

“After what I have just said I don’t feel it is necessary to further deny the union’s claims.”