JCB job losses . Final Machine made in Bamford Factory

Talks are resuming at Staffordshire-based digger firm JCB over plans to shed a total of 650 jobs across the UK.
Workers at factories in Rocester, Cheadle and Uttoxeter are back at the sites after a three-week summer recess.
The firm said it had been badly affected by a decline in orders and the rising price of raw materials.
Consultation periods of either 30 or 90 days will be held at each of the company's factories over the plans to cut the jobs.
Last month, JCB said it was expecting to produce 20% less this year than initially predicted.
It owns a total of 11 factories across the UK.













Another one cutting back !

JCB staff vote for shorter week

Thousands of JCB staff have accepted a shorter working week in order to save about 350 jobs across the UK.
The GMB union said 2,500 of its members in the UK had accepted a 34-hour week by a two-thirds majority.
The firm, based in Rocester, Staffordshire, had said 500 jobs could be
axed if the plan was not accepted and 150 jobs will still be cut.
JCB has 11 factories across the UK and said fewer working hours had been its preferred option.

The new working schedule is expected to start next month.
JCB said it needed to reduce output across the country by nearly 20% "to align production with current demand".
'Preserve skills base'
About 430 jobs have already gone at the company in recent months.
Chief executive officer Matthew Taylor said: "The ballot result
shows the tremendous unity amongst the JCB workforce and a great team
spirit, which I applaud.
"They have looked after the needs of one another rather than the needs of the individual and that is to be commended."
He added: "It means we retain the fundamental strength of our
workforce and this is very welcome news as it puts us in a very strong
position to take advantage quickly of the upturn in the market when it
comes."
The firm said last week that GMB members had two options - to
agree to about 500 redundancies, which would realign production to
demand, or agree to a shorter working week which would reduce
redundancies by about two-thirds.
'Public works'
Speaking after the result of the ballot, the GMB said it hoped
office staff would follow the lead of shop floor workers by choosing a
reduction in hours.
It said the Joint Shop Stewards' Committee was pleased with the outcome.
GMB officer Keith Hodgkinson said: "I am delighted that we have been able to save 350 jobs.
"The short time is part of a worsening recession and these GMB
members expect the government and the Bank of England to take the
necessary steps to begin large-scale public works to at least slow the
recession down and prevent it getting too deep."
The union said some of the pay the workers would lose would be made up with the help of money from a government fund.
The company said it was pleased with the vote "particularly as
it will lead to a reduced number of redundancies and preserve our
skills base for when the markets improve".
It added short-time working would begin at JCB's UK production facilities at the start of November for a minimum of six months.



I think this is a better option than to many job losses , tell us what you think ?

Well with shorter time, they earn less. If they have families, their tax credits award would go up so for family men, wouldnt be a great loss, but they would lose a little income, but not as much as those who dont have a family.

Its sad all round, but i really applaud JCB for keeping skilled workers on, even if it is for a few less hours a week. These guys can still work, earn a living and hopefully in 6 months things will have got better!!

I am afraid the inevitable has happened.



Construction equipment firm JCB and truck-maker Leyland have announced job losses totalling more than 600.




JCB announced 398 new redundancies, including 297 shopfloor jobs and 101 staff posts.

Leyland plans to cut almost 250 jobs and have an extended Christmas shutdown because of a "severe decline" in demand.

JCB blamed "the extreme deterioration in business levels and confidence around the world".

The announcement comes after thousands of JCB workers last month
voted to accept a £50-a-week pay cut in a bid to ward off job cuts.

The company said the global credit crunch had led to a "significant
reduction" in orders, particularly from previously buoyant markets
including Russia and Central and Eastern Europe.

JCB chief executive Matthew Taylor said further job cuts could not
be ruled out if the economic situation deteriorated further in the
coming months.

Explaining the redundancies, he said: "The level of business we are
doing out in the markets right around the world has dropped very
dramatically after the torrid financial times in September.
"If it gets even worse than that then, at the end of the day, we will have to take another hard look at that."

Keith Hodgson, an official of the GMB union, said: "GMB members are being briefed and we will release a further statement in the morning."

Speaking about the Leyland announcement, Tony Woodley, joint general
secretary of Unite, said: "This is a dreadful blow for these workers
and their families.

"It is yet another worrying sign that recession has UK manufacturing in its grip.

"The Government, as a stakeholder in the banks, must now move
without delay to provide £13bn of industrial loans to this sector
before we lose more of the jobs and skills so vital to our economy and
our communities."

Last month JCB revealed that it needed to cut its shopfloor
workforce by 510 at UK factories but the figure was reduced by 332
after GMB members voted by a two-thirds majority in favour of a shorter
working week.

The GMB union said around 2,500 of its members at seven JCB plants
in England and Wales had agreed to go on a four-day week for 13 weeks
to help the company cope with the economic downturn.

But the further announcement of redundancies will be a huge blow to JCB staff.

Final machine made at JCB factory

The final machine rolled off the production line earlier Family tradition at closing factory The final machine has rolled off the production line at a JCB factory in Staffordshire. It marks the end of almost 140 years of manufacturing at the site by firms linked to the Bamford family, which founded JCB in 1945. Farm machinery maker Bamfords Ltd began at Pinfold Street, Uttoxeter, in 1871. JCB took it over in 1989 but production stopped on Wednesday. The firm is moving from the town centre to a new £40m plant half a mile away on the A50. It hopes to sell the site to a developer who would convert it into a mixture of homes, offices and shops. New era The company, which makes excavators, loaders, and tractors, said the new plant was conveniently located by its World Parts Centre and would allow it to expand production when markets recovered. A spokesman said the firm was trying to find a buyer for the 22-acre site after appointing architects McDowell + Benedetti last week. The firm said it was also still in consultation with staff over 398 proposed job losses. It has blamed the economic downturn and loss in business confidence for its decision to make cuts.

(from BBC News)

Its sad but it will not be the last unfortunately . I have also heard they have sold at least one of their helicopters times must be hard.

Construction machinery firm JCB has announced it is to cut 684 jobs.



JCB staff had agreed to pay cuts to stave off job cuts
blamed a lack of credit available from banks to fund machine purchases and continuing low confidence for the decision.
Several sites will be hit by the cuts, including plants in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Wrexham in North Wales.
The job losses affect 593 shopfloor and 91 staff positions and are in addition to 1,000 redundancies announced since July.
JCB employs around 7,900 globally, with around 4,800 in the UK, including more than 4,300 in Staffordshire.

Workers at the company voted to reduce their hours last year in a
bid to save jobs, a move which the firm said has protected over 300
employees from the threat of redundancy.

Production in the UK in the first three months of 2009 will be
around 75% lower than at the same time last year, the company said.

JCB chief executive Matthew Taylor said: "Back in November we
forecast a moderate second quarter recovery in 2009 based on the fact
that Governments around the world had pumped a huge amount of money
into recapitalising financial institutions and had committed to
stimulus packages which included significant spending on public
construction projects.

"Two months later, despite the recapitalisation, customers are still
struggling to buy machines because of a lack of available credit."