 Transit 1995 Passing by on the motorway the plant is recognised easily by the large sign, "Home of the Transit". Union leaders say that 1100 jobs are at risk now plus the loss of business to local parts suppliers. Parts for the vans are trunked down from Fords supply division continuously over a 24 hour period to the plant where the vehicles are assembled.
Although there have been some industrial disputes over job losses and stoppages notably the one in 2003 when the Genk plant in Belguim blocked supply and some phases of redundancies due to a slowing of sales during global market problems the plant has kept going - until now.
This time it is serious say the unions - Ford is cutting production, threatening closure of the plant in the UK although they have notsaid as much but is the "writing on the wall"? If Ford close Southampton, the last Ford vehicle assembly plant in the UK, all that will be left will be the engine plants in Bridgend and Dagenham, a body pressing plant in Dagenham, a transmission plant in Halewood, the distribution centre in Daventry and a Research & Development centre in Dunton. Nine plants have closed or have been sold off in the last ten years in the UK.
Nick Chaffey, of the Southampton Socialist Party said, "Ford are in crisis because of their failed strategy of concentrating on 'gas guzzlers' and luxury cars."
"They put the price of this on tens of thousands of workers in the US who have faced the sack or halving of their wages and attacks on their health care benefits. This is the medicine they want to dish out in the UK, starting with Southampton."
But with the enlargement of the European Union the placement of a massive plant in Romania is even more likely now where labour costs would be cheap for now. American and British car workers are watching the last days of mass car manufacturing in their respective countries as jobs go to ex-Eastern block States now within the EU. With Turkey requesting to join the EU, more jobs, not just car assembly will disappear abroad.
 Facelift Transit 1972 Over 5,000,000 Transits have been produced, the 5 millionth rolled off the line at Southampton on Monday July 18th 2005 - It was given to charity. The Transit became synonimous with "white van man" due to their popularity as delivery vehicles and most commonly coloured white. There have been many versions, facelifts and models over the years which has kept the Transit tops even against strong competition from Mercedes with their Sprinter.
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