Car industry prepares for Ford Australia exit

[FGII-XR6]

the sky is falling again. more damage is done to the Ford name by threads like this in a ford forum than anything else.
negativity breeds failure and encourages the press to write about the end of Ford in Australia.
We need to be talking the Falcon up not pubicly preparing for the funeral

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by au3xr6

the sky is falling again. more damage is done to the Ford name by threads like this in a ford forum than anything else.
negativity breeds failure and encourages the press to write about the end of Ford in Australia.
We need to be talking the Falcon up not pubicly preparing for the funeral

This is the biggest load of BS that gets fed around here...sure the lazy journalist have a peek but thats about it..lets not get carried away.

[Fireblade]

We (this is a broad generalisation) have done this to ourselves, we are a greedy population with an even greedier government, we have greedy unions that are feeding our own greedy wants and then we whinge when we have to pay more for a product that we have ourselves manufactured or produced causing the high price tag due to our greedy wants for higher wages and salaries. We started this cycle and we will end it with massively high unemployment due to all manufacturing leaving our shores so they can find a way to produce things cheaper so we will actually buy it.

We love the product but we won't buy it because it is too dear, or doesn't have the **** features we want for the price so we go buy a car from overseas with the features at a price that we are willing to pay and probably made cheaper by the fact the workers building them are $10-20 cheaper to pay and probably without our entitlements we expect as an employee. Sorry but this is a no brainer for me, if we want to keep manufacturing and these companies in Australia lets all take a paycut, reduce our entitlements and so on and so forth as without this and then expecting a wage rise in the future we are causing our employers to shut down or move overseas to stay viable.

FoA is only one fish in a sea of manufacturing in Australia ready to shut the doors because of profitability and viability.

[trippytaka]

I heard rumours a few months ago that Prodrive has been made an offer to have the rights for FPV bought back from it. This can only mean one thing.

[trippytaka]

It's interesting to get a look at the corporate reasoning and the view of Australian workers.

The below is the reported views of Toyota. I wonder if the same sentements apply at Ford.

A really telling interview of Toyota Australia chief executive Max Yasuda in Australian Financial Review earlier this year gave a HUGE insight into the poor competitiveness in the industry.

30% absenteeism. Strikes. All after Toyota fought to keep all workers on during GFC AND after the Tsunami - which saw production halve...

"In an interview earlier this year, Toyota Australia chief executive Max Yasuda expressed dismay at the high levels of absenteeism at the plant: “If you don’t work on Friday it is a long weekend, right? In this country, or in our factory, they just don’t come in and later on they ask for sick leave.”

The company decided on the job cuts, which amount to about of 10 per cent of the workforce at the Altona plant, in response to lower sales to the Middle East driven by increases in the Australian dollar.

The company was angered by strikes last year during negotiations over a wages agreement which cost it more than $50 million in revenue.

In February, Mr Yasuda criticised the workplace culture at Altona, saying absenteeism could be as high as 30 per cent in some parts of the plant.

[Fireblade]

Exactly Trippytaka, we chuck sickies and then expect to be payed for it, just one of the many entitlements hurting businesses Australia wide.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by trippytaka

I heard rumours a few months ago that Prodrive has been made an offer to have the rights for FPV bought back from it. This can only mean one thing.

You were one of many that heard this rumour, which was quickly swept under the carpet.

Ford does not know what to do, otherwise it would make a public statement.

[turbodewd]

The unions are unwittingly putting themselves out of a job by having such cushy job conditions. I mean in the AU public service its near impossible to get sacked, you have to actually break the law...and even then u might not get sacked.

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by F6 FOON

Exactly Trippytaka, we chuck sickies and then expect to be payed for it, just one of the many entitlements hurting businesses Australia wide.

While it is also no excuse I could imagine an issue with "doom and gloom" is that moral lowers and people just begin to not care.

Its still not good enough, and perhaps workers have to much protection these days, but you can imagine your enthusiasm being beaten.

Cant companies simply state that if your leave is higher than say x% without good reasons then you are shown the door?

[Gobes32]

I would happily work for minimum wage ($15-16 an hour) if house prices were not so high.

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by Gobes32

I would happily work for minimum wage ($15-16 an hour) if house prices were not so high.

I also believe this is the root of most of our issues in the country. But thats another topic.

[Fireblade]

Originally Posted by Polyal

While it is also no excuse I could imagine an issue with "doom and gloom" is that moral lowers and people just begin to not care.

Its still not good enough, and perhaps workers have to much protection these days, but you can imagine your enthusiasm being beaten.

Cant companies simply state that if your leave is higher than say x% without good reasons then you are shown the door?

The protection afforded to workers by unions and governments have made this almost impossible to do, we want to be able to get away with almost anything and keep our jobs. I have been involved with many investigations into employee conduct and was absolutely bewildered at how most kept their jobs or how some kept their jobs for so long. This created my own doom and gloom in my job that I ended up giving it up to work for myself, I couldn't stand the culture and the want for more for less attitude that was given on a daily basis, as a boss this was not much fun or enjoyable for me so I left and took a massive pay cut to do a job that I enjoy doing on a daily basis.

House pricing in Australia is one of the biggest contributors to our want of higher wages.

[Geez Louise]

I have to agree. So many threads have been started the past month and it is ALL doom and gloom.

No-one can say with 100% certainty what the future holds, anything can happen. You can be certain though, that all this negative talk on here, doesn't do anyone any good, apart from the fact you get to blow off a little steam and frustration.

I am getting fed up with reading the same things and points about it, over and over and over.....It is like a broken record.

[EDManual]

People earn way to much here. Its crazy. Everyone should take massive pay cuts. $15 - 25 an hour should be all anyone should get. And I wouldnt mind going from my $20 down to $15 if everyone else did in proportion.
Who needs $80 grand + a year? No one. If you do, its you who are are ruining Australia.

Its a useless country, we make nothing. I cant realy understand how we exist apart from mining. Every one is in service now manufacturing for export is pretty much gone. How does it work?!

[turbodewd]

Originally Posted by EDManual

People earn way to much here. Its crazy. Everyone should take massive pay cuts. $15 - 25 an hour should be all anyone should get. And I wouldnt mind going from my $20 down to $15 if everyone else did in proportion.
Who needs $80 grand + a year? No one. If you do, its you who are are ruining Australia.

Its a useless country, we make nothing. I cant realy understand how we exist apart from mining. Every one is in service now manufacturing for export is pretty much gone. How does it work?!

People earning over 80k are ruining Australia?!

Firstly, Australian isnt ruined.

2ndly, its the bludgers on Centrelink living in Byron Bay or Sunshine Coast who are sponging off the rest of us who are the problem. Or the bludgers claiming a back problem/injury which they fake.

[BroadyFord]

Originally Posted by Geez Louise

I have to agree. So many threads have been started the past month and it is ALL doom and gloom.

No-one can say with 100% certainty what the future holds, anything can happen. You can be certain though, that all this negative talk on here, doesn't do anyone any good, apart from the fact you get to blow off a little steam and frustration.

I am getting fed up with reading the same things and points about it, over and over and over.....It is like a broken record.

Until Ford gives the community some certainty then people will continue to speculate and blow off steam about the seemingly questionable decisions management have taken recently.

[BroadyFord]

Another article:

Component industry expects Ford to exit Australia


http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-3...tralia/4163540

The receiver of a number of failed companies in the automotive industry says the closure of Ford in Australia is a foregone conclusion.

Earlier this month, Ford announced it was slashing production at its Victorian plants by almost a third because of falling sales.

The company was given a $34 million government bail-out in January to secure production until 2016.

Stephen Longley works for the receivers, PPB Advisory, which has been involved in winding up failed companies such as APV Automotive and Ajax Fasteners.

He says components makers have completely written Ford out of their business plans from 2016.

"It's going to be a slow death, or nearly a death by 1,000 cuts for some of the suppliers," he told ABC local radio.

"There's been no announcements. The expectation though, is that this will happen.

"And without any announcements, all the people I deal with in the supply chain are assuming this is going to be the case.

"So decisions are being made on the basis that Ford will definitely not be around from 2016."

He says Ford does not have an export market and local sales are down.

He believes the Australian industry may have a role in the global strategy in terms of design, but not manufacturing.

A company spokesman is refusing to comment on the reports except to say it stands by its previous statement that it is committed to remaining in Australia.

Bill Shorten, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations says change in the manufacturing industry is inevitable.

"Without conceding Ford's going... that we'll wake up one morning and find Ford is no longer there, change is an inevitable part of the Australian economy," he said.

"I think manufacturing will continue in Australia and it will continue in Victoria.

"I believe the high dollar has accelerated some change."

David Purchase from the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce says Ford is doing everything it can to stay in Australia.

"All the actions which they're taking are obviously designed to make them more efficient and more competitive in a very competitive global market," he said.

"I think the commitments that the Government has extracted from Ford will, we hope, see it remain in this country well past 2016."

He says there are a lot of jobs reliant on the automotive sector.

"One job in this industry supports five in other industries. Two-hundred-and-fifty thousand people work in this industry and only 50,000 work in manufacturing.

"There are 200,000 in retail and the parts sector. That's often overlooked and forgotten."

[LTDHO]

This comes at no surprise.

I still stand by my prediction!

[GT0132]

Originally Posted by EDManual

People earn way to much here. Its crazy. Everyone should take massive pay cuts. $15 - 25 an hour should be all anyone should get. And I wouldnt mind going from my $20 down to $15 if everyone else did in proportion.
Who needs $80 grand + a year? No one. If you do, its you who are are ruining Australia.

Consider a typical family in Sydney and Melbourne who need an average loan of around $400k plus save a deposit of $100k just to buy an average place to live (nothing flash in an inner suburb either), then put food on the table, clothing, health , transport, insurance costs, utilities, expenses of raising kids etc, then tell me that $80k is too high.

[Jeddak]

interesting that no one has mentioned the lack of protection tariffs.
years ago the local industries had a tariff against imported products which was to equalize pricing somewhat and protect local goods from much cheaper priced goods from over seas.

with the reduction or outright removal of this ,local industry's have closed shop and gone elsewhere
it is also true about the other factors that other members have raised here
however the answer is a complicated one involving basically a culture change
( the way we live)

the governments says that they don't get involved in private enterprise
however is it not the job of the governments to formulate laws to protect local industries?

by removing controls we are then left to the mercy of overseas manufacturing which has a much cheaper life style which is in some cases controlled by some governments which, if you recall years ago called out for us to remove the protection we then had while at the same time keeping in place their own (some countries had up to 60%)

level playing field?


HAH!!!

once we loose the base skills that we currently have, its gone forever

[Rodge]

When you look at the technology in a Ford Mondeo Titanium or Ford Taurus SHO what I'd like to know is how on earth did Ford Australia get so many years behind ? The gulf in latest technology has never been wider IMO.

[Polyal]

Like anything Rodge its all about the $$$, simply as that. If we all step back and be rational about it, would you invest in the current formula?

[roberts]

Originally Posted by GT0132

Consider a typical family in Sydney and Melbourne who need an average loan of around $400k plus save a deposit of $100k just to buy an average place to live (nothing flash in an inner suburb either), then put food on the table, clothing, health , transport, insurance costs, utilities, expenses of raising kids etc, then tell me that $80k is too high.

did the chicken come before the egg?
would all those things not be cheaper, if everyone earnt less.

[Rodge]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Like anything Rodge its all about the $$$, simply as that. If we all step back and be rational about it, would you invest in the current formula?

In a word no I wouldn't. The accountant and investor in me says I'd swim with the tide rather than against it. Australian production costs are too high, labour rates are excessive and the unions are too powerful. Australian made Riviera boats are now far too expensive too for the same reasons.

As a buyer, next time i change I'm inclined towards swimming with the tide too.

[GT0132]

Originally Posted by roberts

did the chicken come before the egg?
would all those things not be cheaper, if everyone earnt less.

Maybe , but there's no guarantee , espcecially when you consider housing booms in recent times have been fueled largely by overseas investment, particularly from Asia. Local affordability has had little do do with it

[Agile]

Originally Posted by Polyal

People are also assuming that Fords Engineer sector is safe too.

Perhaps there is a reason why they only hire 6/12 month contract basis now.

Its really sad and I give kudos to GM for atleast giving the Commodore a fighting chance by attempting to integrate it with there global plans. For x,y and z reasons Ford NA from the outside seem to have not made much effort.

Id be interested to hear what Mullaly has to say, they have all been very quite on the topic and when they do spit something out its very cliche.

This is a bitter pill for Ford fans...there is nothing really slated for work past 2016 with anything really. Its utter BS when the better product in the market isnt reaching the people, we know it, the press knows it (but wont openly state it)...WTF.

Have only read the thread to this point and what rings true here is that the ford product is far superior to holden yet they out sell by two to one. Watch tv over the weekend and saw not one ford add. Holden and toyota adds everywhere. WTF ? Only sign of ford was on the Geelong jumpers.

[Pepscobra]

Typical pessimistic thread from our 'glass half empty committee' here on the Forum.
So Ford hasn't announced it's manufacturing locally post 2016... so far, I havn't heard officially that it won't be either.

[johnydep]

Originally Posted by Jeddak

interesting that no one has mentioned the lack of protection tariffs.
years ago the local industries had a tariff against imported products which was to equalize pricing somewhat and protect local goods from much cheaper priced goods from over seas.

with the reduction or outright removal of this ,local industry's have closed shop and gone elsewhere
it is also true about the other factors that other members have raised here
however the answer is a complicated one involving basically a culture change
( the way we live)

the governments says that they don't get involved in private enterprise
however is it not the job of the governments to formulate laws to protect local industries?

by removing controls we are then left to the mercy of overseas manufacturing which has a much cheaper life style which is in some cases controlled by some governments which, if you recall years ago called out for us to remove the protection we then had while at the same time keeping in place their own (some countries had up to 60%)

level playing field?


HAH!!!

once we loose the base skills that we currently have, its gone forever

All debated here; http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthr...16#post4370016

[roberts]

the sooner the baby boomers are told the next generation is not going to buy there $80,000 house for $800,000 just because they fell like they deserve a lavish and comftable retirment. Prices and our currency will drop, but the standard of living will go up. Imagine your wife being able to stay home to raise your children rather than being institusinalised into the schools system from 6 months old, having time on saturday and sunday to enjoy life, all of a sudden you dont need 2 cars or 2 car ports, you dont need a whashing machine or dryer or dishwasher. Your children learn to live with less and go outside and play sport not facebook, and if these olymipics are anything to go by, the australians needed alot more sport and a whole lot less facebook the last couple of years, tall poopy will always be our curse.

I would build a ford in australia for $1 a day if everything else was inpropution.

[roberts]

Originally Posted by turbodewd

People earning over 80k are ruining Australia?!

Firstly, Australian isnt ruined.

2ndly, its the bludgers on Centrelink living in Byron Bay or Sunshine Coast who are sponging off the rest of us who are the problem. Or the bludgers claiming a back problem/injury which they fake.

there is alot more bludges in the public service in canberra than on centrelink.