Foden cuts workforce
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by Derren Hayes • Cheshire truck manufacturer Foden looks set to axe over 70 jobs, more than a tenth of its workforce, blaming a decline in trade and the knock-on effects of Euro-2 emission legislation.
The Sandbach-based company is to evaluate its position over the next 30 days, but says it expects to make 77 redundancies out of a total workforce of around 600.
Foden says the job losses, most of which will be on the production line, are due to a reduction in the number of vehicles it is building. It blames a decline in its traditional markets of tippers for the construction industry and the reluctance of some sectors of the industry to pay more money for the new Euro-2 engines.
Despite the news, figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers (SNIMT) show Foden increased September production of trucks and artics from 76 in 1995 to 108 this year. However, yearly totals show it had sold over 100 vehicles more at this stage last year. Foden says it is working with local transport firms to try and find jobs for those affected by the losses.