UPDATE: Ford will shed about a third of its Victorian workforce between now and the end of the year, forcing redundancy packages on 250 of 300 employees ahead of its forecast closure in October 2016.
Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said 180 workers will be laid off from the company’s Broadmeadows headquarters and a further 120 from its Geelong plants. Some will leave as soon as this week.
Mr Sherwood said employees being forced to take early redundancies were being offered emotional support, financial planning advice and retraining opportunities.
“This is not easy on anybody,” Mr Sherwood said. “There is no one solution for every employee.”
Broadmeadows Labor MP Frank McGuire accused the state and federal governments of failing in their duty of care to Ford workers and to jobs growth in Melbourne’s north.
“They haven’t got a co-ordinated strategic plan to address the situation,” Mr McGuire said.
“Thirty million dollars was put in by federal Labor, $10 million from Ford and, the smallest amount, $9 million from the Napthine government, to attract new business to the north.
‘‘How many companies have been supported in Broadmeadows? Has there been even one?”
Mr McGuire also slammed the state government for “gutting” Victoria’s TAFE sector, particularly the $25 million cut from the Kangan Institute at Broadmeadows, which provides auto-industry training and engineering courses.
“We’ve got to stop the unfairness. We’re not forgotten people.”
