Nissan looking to cull 250 jobs at UK's Sunderland plant

Move aimed at increasing the efficiency of the operation

Nissan Motor will begin talks this week to seek job cuts at its Sunderland plant in Britain, it said on Monday, as the Japanese carmaker targets a 15% reduction in its global workforce.
Nissan Motor will begin talks this week to seek job cuts at its Sunderland plant in Britain, it said on Monday, as the Japanese carmaker targets a 15% reduction in its global workforce.
Image: Supplied

Nissan Motor will begin talks this week to seek job cuts at its Sunderland plant in Britain, it said on Monday, as the Japanese carmaker targets a 15% reduction in its global workforce.

Nissan said the move was aimed at increasing the efficiency of the Sunderland plant in northeastern England to make it a “leaner, more flexible” operation.

It did not say how many job cuts it was targeting. Japan's Kyodo News, which earlier reported the planned cuts, said Nissan was aiming to lay off 250 workers.

“We will begin discussions with some of our employees at the Sunderland plant this week about voluntary retirement opportunities and support from the company,” Nissan said.

With the job cuts, Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa has announced plans to close seven plants worldwide, though Sunderland is not expected to be among them.

The factory is seen as critical to Nissan's European operations and it plans to make the new version of its Leaf EV there.

Separately, Reuters reported on Monday Nissan has asked some suppliers in Britain and the EU if it can delay payments to free up short-term funds, as it scrambles to boost cash.


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