kw Ford lays off 700
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• The ailing British truck market has forced Iveco Ford, one of the UK's leading truck manufacturers, to bring its Langley production line to a halt this week.
More than 700 Langley workers have been told to stay at home for a week; only maintenance and clerical staff have been working at the factory since Monday.
Those laid off will be paid 90% of their basic wage for the week; the move will cut production by about 250 vehicles.
lveco Ford's registrations in September stood at just over 1,000, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders' figures — compared with 1,800 for the same month in 1989. The company says no further shutdowns are planned this year. but it will not rule out the possibility of further action in the new year.
The decision to temporarily lay off staff follows Leyland Dal's action last week which put roughly half of its truck production workers on a fourday week and closed its van production plant, with the loss of some 300 jobs.
This year has been a tough one for lveco Ford, which suffered a seven-week strike over pay at Langley in the summer, together with plummeting sales throughout the year. Langley has been on a mixture of four and three-day weeks since January.
But the company says it is still committed to investment at Langley, in preparation for the Iveco-derived truck which will be produced alongside the Cargo next year. The heavily automated line is currently being installed at the factory and staff will be moved from the Cargo line on to the new project.