another 440 jobs to go at Ford

[buggerlugs]

http://www.news.com.au/national/this...-1226428065979

[BroadyFord]

Says it all...

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/nat...-1226427801418

Quoted from the above link:

...Workers are angry the company failed to advertise the new four-cylinder Falcon model and were worried the line will be replaced altogether by the US made Ford Taurus.

Brendan Sexton, who has worked at the Geelong plant for 28 years, said he could not understand why Falcon sales were diving.

"We make a great car but Australians don't buy them," he said.

"The Falcon is a better car than the Commodore but they are still selling."...





...Anthony Anderson, 46, said Ford had abandoned the Falcon.

"We have a new four-cylinder Falcon but nobody knows about it. We've had so many arguments with sales and marketing," he said.

"It's like they are getting ready to import a new new Taurus - that's a V6 Ford made in America. They brought them out years ago and they looked ugly but the new model of the Taurus and the Fusion all look similar.

"The only real difference is that the Taurus is a front-wheel drive. The Falcon is one of the only rear-wheel drives they make."...

[Resurrection]

To think that only 8 years ago they were building 500 cars per day. How quickly things have deteriorated. Only a matter of time before the plug is pulled on local assembly.

[falconnut]

What a shame, hopefully things will turn around and Ford Australia's marketing department will get off their ***.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by RASER

Indeed.


So now we will have a 2 horse race, BigT[tm.F/O] v The General slogging it out, i think the lion brand will blink first, Toyota for the win.

And then...car manufacture in Australia....TheEnd!

Toyota need Ford & GM too keep the parts manufacturing going. those suppliers cannot rely on Toyota alone..

[TC200six]

Paul Murray from Sky News is very disappointed about the government subsidising them, before more news about workers being sacked.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=...type=2&theater

[gtfpv]

very sad news indeed . my wife and i were only saying we dont see any GT's on the road besides ours , and we're in sydneys west , even our old ba model gt's are rare as hens teeth , aside from that , i havent seen a GS on the road and only about 2 or 3 new xr6's .
SAD reality , even commadores are becoming slim on the road .

[joolz]

Originally Posted by BroadyFord

^^ Yep 148 cars per day is just woeful.

Can recall the days when the BA was introduced. We were supplying around 700 driveshafts per day.

But For Daniel Andrews to come out saying Ted do something is a bit rich. People simply arent buying cars, instead paying more on just living.

[Oxa384]

kind of feel bad for buying a new hyundai but ford need to re invent themselves now.seems that even the workers are frustrated with the lack of marketing they know they have a good product and it isnt getting put across to the public.hell i wouldnt of known ford had a 4cyl falcon if i wasnt on here everyday.
hate to say it but sadly it might be too late for the sleeping giant...

[falconnut]

Exactly, its not just ford australia's lack of advertizing for the falcon its the fact that the world economy is still right in the middle of a massive global depression and hardly ANYONE is buying new cars let alone ex demo or used.

Its a shame because IF i could get a job i would put my money on a brand spanking new blue fpv.

[joolz]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

Toyota need Ford & GM too keep the parts manufacturing going. those suppliers cannot rely on Toyota alone..

So true, If only one of the local car manufacturers go under alot of suppliers in Australia will also follow along with tool makers not just for the Automotive industry.

[jpd80]

Sorry I'm late to thread, so sad to hear so many skilled employees will be leaving Ford,
all of our thoughts should be with those good people and their families at this time....

[ivorya]

Extremely sad for the employees that will lose their jobs. I know the company has said they'll retrain, but what jobs are out there for a middle aged / or younger?
In the end, Globalisation - gives us cheap items, but will end up ruining the economy. More people waiting for the govenment cheque!!

[BroadyFord]

Out of curiosity, how many 380s were Mitsubishi making a day before they pulled the pin?

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by BroadyFord

Out of curiosity, how many 380s were Mitsubishi making a day before they pulled the pin?

Two things:
1)the 380's 2007 production was around 10,200, so that's around 850/mth

and

2) Mitsubishi didn't have a Territory or a Ute...

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by turbodewd

Personally, Im convinced Ford could have done an ad campaign for the EcoLPI.

Cheaper to fill than a Mazda, more powerful, just as 'green'.

Feel the Difference?

I feel indifference from Ford AU marketing department!

Too late mate....too late! Look at the price of gas today, a whole 55c.... The $2 Grand Prix could have been on prime time...

[BroadyFord]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Two things:
1)the 380's 2007 production was around 10,200, so that's around 850/mth

and

2) Mitsubishi didn't have a Territory or a Ute...

Total Ford production per year will be around 33,000 vehicles following these changes which is hardly any better.

[mik]

i hate to think where this is heading, another 10/20 years we won`t manufacture anything in this country, sympathy to the ford workers.

[Chopped]

That is sad news and I feel for any employee affected. Especially those who have been there for a long time.

I heard the union official talking about it on the radio. I like the way he was handling it. He said the Falcon was an excellent product and Australians should be proud of it. He also attacked the government fleet program for not supporting the local makes.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by falconnut

Exactly, its not just ford australia's lack of advertizing for the falcon its the fact that the world economy is still right in the middle of a massive global depression and hardly ANYONE is buying new cars let alone ex demo or used.

Its a shame because IF i could get a job i would put my money on a brand spanking new blue fpv.

Wrong.

Last month was a new Australian record for the number of vehicles sold in a month, so your reasoning that people aren't buying new cars is absolute garbage. They are absolutely flocking to them.

Its just that Ford has only one they want, the Territory. The lack of advertising does effect Falcon sales because they have done nothing to promote the LPi and Ecoboost versions, which is shear stupidity. Why bring something out that may appeal to people, then tell no one about it? Thats setting yourself up to fail from the get go.

But to me it seems like Ford have a plan to get Falcon down to next to nothing, so they can use their plan to switch to global platforms, hence the lack of promotion and the deliberate holding back of stock of the most in demand models. Try getting anything with an LPi engine in it. Good luck. Its easier to cut a slow selling model than a successful one isn't it.

They will struggle to get the numbers for voluntary redundancies, they fell about 30 short last time, so 12 months later it will be even less, cause the ones who wanted out have already gone. A lot of people will be stressing for the next 3 or so months wondering wether they will have a job or not come November.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by BroadyFord

Total Ford production per year will be around 33,000 vehicles following these changes which is hardly any better.

Hardly better?
33,000 is a lot better than 10,200

[Joe5619]

Originally Posted by BroadyFord

Total Ford production per year will be around 33,000 vehicles following these changes which is hardly any better.

NO it is just 300% better!!

[mickbundy]

Sad bit is that the real workers on the front line will be made redundant. But the bludgers at advertising sales and service and all the real people that have let Ford down will still have a job

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by mickbundy

Sad bit is that the real workers on the front line will be made redundant. But the bludgers at advertising sales and service and all the real people that have let Ford down will still have a job

Thats exactly what I thought today.

Its always the workers who get the chop due to the managements f up's.

[JC]

That email is telling (and quite poorly written too).....

[burnz]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Wrong.

Last month was a new Australian record for the number of vehicles sold in a month, so your reasoning that people aren't buying new cars is absolute garbage. They are absolutely flocking to them.

Its just that Ford has only one they want, the Territory. The lack of advertising does effect Falcon sales because they have done nothing to promote the LPi and Ecoboost versions, which is shear stupidity. Why bring something out that may appeal to people, then tell no one about it? Thats setting yourself up to fail from the get go.

But to me it seems like Ford have a plan to get Falcon down to next to nothing, so they can use their plan to switch to global platforms, hence the lack of promotion and the deliberate holding back of stock of the most in demand models. Try getting anything with an LPi engine in it. Good luck. Its easier to cut a slow selling model than a successful one isn't it.

They will struggle to get the numbers for voluntary redundancies, they fell about 30 short last time, so 12 months later it will be even less, cause the ones who wanted out have already gone. A lot of people will be stressing for the next 3 or so months wondering wether they will have a job or not come November.

the one's who dont want a redundacy would be over fifty years old,
i assume?? getting harder at that age for a new career.

[Franco Cozzo]

Manufacturing is taking a beating in Victoria this year, we're a bit worried at work because of some workplace politics happening between the big wigs is going to see our workshop up for sale, and us "relocating", some of us might be relocating to the Centrelink line I think. We really need a bigger workshop, and we asked about it, then we get told its all coming down to cost, so I don't understand why we would go backwards, if anything why can't we buy our current workshop when it comes up for sale?

Rumor has it we had 5 years to show its viable to manufacture in Melbourne and I'm pretty sure this is the 5th year and from what management tells us, we've run at a loss for all those years.

[Charliewool]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

They will struggle to get the numbers for voluntary redundancies, they fell about 30 short last time, so 12 months later it will be even less, cause the ones who wanted out have already gone. A lot of people will be stressing for the next 3 or so months wondering wether they will have a job or not come November.

Yep.. A big problem. And what you usually find is the more switched on, higher skilled guys that can easily get alternative employment are the ones that put their hand up first.. Hence lowering the overall company standard.
If Management has to decide who goes, lets hope it doesn't happen the Toyota way where anyone with the slightest "black mark" or wasn't liked internally got the bullet?

[mr smith]

Compulsory redundancies this time around IMO.
"Trouble makers" used to union protection will be at the top of the list and just like Toyota there will be a list.
Last time we saw this scale of job losses was early 90's. Lots of people used to the credit boom and artificial economy are about to get some valuable life lessons over the coming years.

[SM1DY]

Mark Robinson just had a shot at Ford on AFL 360 "Oh good on you Ford, sacking 400 people today"