Thousands demonstrate against Ford cuts

Up to 20,000 demonstrators from across Europe protested in Genk yesterday against the motor giant’s restructuring plans, the British Daily Echo reports. These plans include shutting its plant in Genk, which employs 4,300 workers, and closing the factory in Southampton, England, where the Transit van is made, in July with the loss of 500 jobs. Buses transported Ford workers and demonstrators from the factory site on the outskirts of Genk to the march through the city centre. Flags and banners from the three unions representing workers were held high as they made their way along the 2km route to a rally. A 13,000-capacity square at the C-mine cultural centre, on the site of a former mine, was packed with demonstrators. Ford plans to move production of the new model Mondeo, S-Max and Galaxy to Valencia in Spain. The council in Genk estimates up to 10,000 jobs, including direct and indirect suppliers in the region’s motor industry, will be affected by the closure. The regional economy has already suffered from GM’s closure of the Opel plant in nearby Antwerp in 2010. Ford unveiled its plans to close three factories, in Southampton, Dagenham and Genk, with the loss of 6,200 jobs, to stem forecast losses of €2.25 billion over the next two years. And the company last week warned it may need to make more cuts – possibly dropping factory shifts or closing an additional plant.