Thousands of workers at Honda’s Swindon factory have returned to work after the troubles of the car industry forced its closure four months ago. All 3,400 of the returning workers will be taking a pay cut until 2010 but are pleased that their jobs are finally guaranteed after spending the last four months worrying about the possibilities.
The factory was forced to close while the company decided on the best way of dealing with the problems caused by the global recession and the effect the economic downturn has had on the number of car sales and contract hire agreements. The motoring industry has been hit hardest of all and almost all car manufacturers are having difficulty staying afloat, but Honda’s experience could serve as a good example to the other brands still hanging in the balance. Their decision to temporarily close the Swindon factory has allowed them time to make important decisions about the future of the business as well as perform long-planned maintenance work. During the four months downtime the production lines were stripped down and rebuilt, and the entire plant was redecorated, wherever possible using existing employees with the relevant specialist skills or training.
