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https://tw.news.yahoo.com/米其林、舍弗勒英國廠-將熄燈-223817300.html
米其林、舍弗勒英國廠 將熄燈
中時電子報
10.3k 人追蹤
2018年11月8日 上午6:38
工商時報【吳慧珍／綜合外電報導】
英國與歐盟的脫歐談判儘管有所進展，但在英國設廠的歐洲汽車零件供應商還是決定走為上策。法國輪胎大廠米其林（Michelin）與德國汽車零件商舍弗勒（Schaeffler）相繼宣布要關掉英國工廠，超過1,400名員工飯碗可能不保，對英國汽車業是一大打擊。
以生產軸承聞名的舍弗勒周二表示，英國脫歐籠罩的不確定性，促成該公司決定收掉2家英國工廠。設在英格蘭普利茅斯（Plymouth）及威爾斯拉內利（Llanelli）的工廠，預定2年後關閉，生產線移往德國、中國、韓國和美國。
舍弗勒目前在英國製造的產品，出口比例高達85％，主要銷往歐洲大陸，英國若無協議脫歐，其出口市場將受到威脅。
舍弗勒全球總人力約9.2萬，在英國聘雇1,000餘人，準備吹熄燈號的普利茅斯廠雇用350人、拉內利廠則有220名員工，該公司未透露關廠後會有多少英國員工受到牽連。
在舍弗勒宣布關掉英國工廠的前一天，法國輪胎大廠米其林公布，2020年結束設在蘇格蘭丹地（Dundee）的生產線，這家工廠開設近50年，聘用845名員工。
但據英國《衛報》報導，米其林將關廠決定，歸咎於丹地廠生產的小型輪胎需求萎縮，難與亞洲製造的低價輪胎競爭，聲稱與英國脫歐無關。
即便如此，這兩家歐洲業者打算關廠，還是引來英國最大工會Unite的批評。Unite副秘書長柏克（Tony Burke）表示：「這對英國汽車供應鏈及整個汽車業，是另一沉重打擊。英國要是無協議脫歐會面臨什麼後果，大家心知肚明。」英國與歐盟達成協議，才能確保實現免關稅的零摩擦貿易（frictionless trade）。
英國汽車業一再敦促梅伊政府，將零摩擦貿易列為脫歐協商的優先要項，否則英國有流失數千個工作的風險。
其他汽車製造商與零件供應商，也重新評估在英國的投資，他們警告若是英國脫歐失序會帶來傷害。
更多追蹤報導
https://www.reuters.com/article/bri...ffler-to-close-two-uk-factories-idUSL8N1XH40S
UPDATE 3-German auto parts maker Schaeffler to close two UK factories
Thomas Seythal, Edward Taylor
4 Min Read
* Two of three plants to shut
* Logistics centres to combine
* Employs just over 1,000 in UK (Adds Unite comment on Dundee factory)
By Thomas Seythal and Edward Taylor
BERLIN/FRANKFURT, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Germany’s Schaeffler will shut two UK factories, prompted in part by Britain’s planned exit from the European Union in March, the auto parts maker said on Tuesday.
The move, which puts hundreds of jobs at risk, comes a day after French tyre maker Michelin said it would close a Scottish factory and as time is running out for an agreed Brexit process, without which trade could be heavily disrupted.
Schaeffler, which makes ball bearings, said its factories in Plymouth, southwest England, and Llanelli in Wales would close over the next couple of years, with production shifting to Germany, China, South Korea and the United States.
Currently, 85 percent of the goods Schaeffler produces in Britain are exported, mainly to continental Europe, the company said. Access to export markets is under threat if Britain is unable to reach a deal with the EU over its departure.
The closure plan follows a review of Schaeffler’s global production network that took into account future supply and demand, economic conditions, and decisions being made by carmakers, the German group said.
“Brexit is clearly not the single decisive factor behind our decision-making for the UK market, but the need to plan for various complex scenarios has brought forward the timing,” Juergen Ziegler, Schaeffler’s manager responsible for Europe, said in a statement.
The reorganisation will take up to two years to implement, Schaeffler said, and was criticised by UK trade union Unite.
“This is yet another body blow for the UK’s automotive supply chain and the wider car industry,” Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke said.
“It should leave no one in any doubt as to what is in store if the UK crashes out of the European Union without a deal that secures tariff free frictionless trade.”
Unite said it was in negotiations with Michelin in the hope of striking an agreement which would ensure the financial viability of the Dundee factory in Scotland.
Schaeffler’s decision comes as other carmakers and parts suppliers review investments in Britain, and warn of the damage that would result from a disorderly Brexit.
The German company employs around 92,000 people worldwide, including just over 1,000 in Britain. It did not say how many UK jobs would be affected by the closures, but a Unite spokesman said it had almost 300 members at the Llanelli operations alone.
Schaeffler said its plant in Sheffield, northern England, which makes clutches for cars and tractors and is its largest in Britain by revenue and workers, would survive.
It also said a logistics centre in Sutton Coldfield, central England, would see operations combined with those at a centre in Hereford, western England.
China hopes to escape bumpy landing as trade ties improve
In Llanelli, Schaeffler makes mechanical tappets and bearings for the auto industry. It produces spindle bearings and machine parts and specialised bearings for the aerospace and defence industries in Plymouth.
A “no-deal” Brexit could mean tariffs of 10 percent under World Trade Organization rules that would add an average of 3,000 euros ($3,400) to the cost of British-built cars sold in the EU if fully passed on to buyers and add 1,700 euros to the cost of European cars imported into Britain, the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said in September.
Most German firms that export to Britain are poorly prepared for a no-deal Brexit, a survey by the IW economic institute showed on Tuesday.
$1 = 0.8750 euros Reporting by Thomas Seythal and Edward Taylor, and Noor Zainab Hussain; Writing by Jason Neely and Edward Taylor; Editing by Mark Potter and Jane Merriman
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
https://www.theguardian.com/busines...ean-parts-factories-close-michelin-schaeffler
New blow for UK car industry as European parts factories close
Michelin and Schaeffler to close UK plants with 1,400 jobs at risk
Angela Monaghan
Tue 6 Nov 2018 18.01 GMT Last modified on Tue 6 Nov 2018 19.15 GMT
Shares
1,142
Goodbye Dundeee … a worker leaves Michelin’s Dundee tyre factory after the company announced plans to close the site. Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA
More than 1,400 British jobs are at risk after two European suppliers of car parts, Schaeffler and Michelin, announced plans to close UK factories in a blow to the wider automotive industry ahead of Brexit.
Schaeffler, the German car parts supplier, said uncertainty surrounding Brexit had contributed to its decision to close two UK factories, in Llanelli, Wales, and Plymouth, where 570 people are employed. The company said the closures would take place over the next two years.
French tyremaker Michelin announced plans to close its factory in Dundee in 2020, nearly 50 years after it opened and where 845 people are employed. It blamed dwindling demand for smaller tyres. It said the decision was unrelated to the Brexit vote.
At Schaeffler’s plant in Plymouth, a workforce of 350 people makes bearings and machine parts for the firm’s industrial division as well as the aerospace and defence industries.
At Llanelli, about 220 people are employed to make mechanical parts and bearings for the major car manufacturers and other industrial suppliers. The company said it would relocate production from the two UK factories to existing plants in the US, China, South Korea and Germany.
The union Unite said it would “fight for every job” as it tries to avert the closures.
Will Nissan stay once Britain leaves? How one factory explains the Brexit business dilemma – podcast
Tony Burke, assistant general secretary, said: “This is yet another body blow for the UK’s automotive supply chain and the wider car industry. It should leave no one in any doubt as to what is in store if the UK crashes out of the European Union without a deal that secures tariff-free frictionless trade.
“The uncertainty surrounding the Tories’ shambolic handling of Brexit and their piecemeal industrial strategy is having real consequences. Behind the closures and the uncertainty currently gripping the car industry and component manufacturing are people with bills to pay and families to feed.”
The wider UK car industry has repeatedly urged the government to make frictionless trade a priority in Brexit negotiations or risk the loss of thousands of UK jobs.
Schaeffler currently employs more than 1,000 people in the UK and said its factory in Sheffield would remain open, while operations at its two logistics centres in Sutton Coldfield and Hereford would be combined in Hereford.
Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk
Michelin said it was no longer financially viable to keep its Dundee factory open because of a fall in demand for premium tyres of 16-inches and smaller, which are made at the site. It also blamed a shift in that market to low-cost versions made in Asia.
John Reid, factory manager at Michelin Dundee, said: “I understand that these proposals will come as a huge blow to our employees and to the city of Dundee as a whole. It’s also a very personal blow for me.
“This factory has faced incredibly tough challenges before and we have come through thanks to the hard work and flexibility of our people and the union, and the backing of the Michelin group. However, the market for the smaller tyres we make has changed dramatically and permanently, and the company has to address these structural changes.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-46109213
Michelin workers' shock at factory closure
Media captionMichelin workers in Dundee react to factory closure
Dundee Michelin factory workers have spoken of their shock after the company announced its intention to close the plant, with the loss of all 845 jobs.
The tyre factory will close by mid-2020 after the French firm deemed it "unsuitable" in the current climate.
Scotland's economy secretary Derek Mackay said he will convene an action group to "explore all options to secure a sustainable future for the site."
Workers were sent home until Thursday following a meeting at the factory.
Some employees told BBC Scotland they were angry that they first learned about the decision from the media on Monday.
One worker said: "When we heard yesterday we thought it was a wind up.
"I heard it through social media, which is a big disappointment.
"The factory manager said he's disgusted at how it's been handled, how it's been leaked to the press. "
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Workers were told of the factory's closure at a morning meeting
Workers spoke of a "sombre and subdued" mood at the meeting, which came 46 years to the day after the first tyre was produced at the factory.
One said: "NCR shut years ago, Timex - Michelin's the biggest factory left in Dundee. 850 have lost their jobs.
"The unions say they'll fight, but what can they do? France has made their decision."
Media captionMichelin Dundee factory boss reflects on "difficult day"
Mr Mackay met representatives of the workforce, trade unions and Dundee City Council on a visit to the factory. He later spoke in parliament about the issue following an urgent question from local MSP Jenny Marra.
The minister said the Scottish government "will leave no stone unturned" and would do all it could to protect the workforce.
After his visit to the factory, Mr Mackay said: "I have met members of Michelin's group executive and they have agreed to consider a proposition that we will bring forward, to secure a sustainable future for the plant.
"Having spoken to the council, the unions, local politicians and UK government, I am confident there is a shared desire to work together to secure the best possible future for the site and its workforce."
Image caption Derek Mackay said the Scottish government "would do all it could" to protect the workforce
Michelin Dundee manager John Reid said the company made its decision on 9 October and it was "never the intention" for staff to find out the news in the manner that they did.
He said: "I think it's unacceptable they were put in that position.
"Clearly we have been operating in a very difficult market context for more than a year.
"We've had our volume cut three times this year.
"This year we actually produced the lowest volume we've ever produced in the factory, so it was clear that something fairly fundamental was happening."
米其林、舍弗勒英國廠 將熄燈
中時電子報
10.3k 人追蹤
2018年11月8日 上午6:38
工商時報【吳慧珍／綜合外電報導】
英國與歐盟的脫歐談判儘管有所進展，但在英國設廠的歐洲汽車零件供應商還是決定走為上策。法國輪胎大廠米其林（Michelin）與德國汽車零件商舍弗勒（Schaeffler）相繼宣布要關掉英國工廠，超過1,400名員工飯碗可能不保，對英國汽車業是一大打擊。
以生產軸承聞名的舍弗勒周二表示，英國脫歐籠罩的不確定性，促成該公司決定收掉2家英國工廠。設在英格蘭普利茅斯（Plymouth）及威爾斯拉內利（Llanelli）的工廠，預定2年後關閉，生產線移往德國、中國、韓國和美國。
舍弗勒目前在英國製造的產品，出口比例高達85％，主要銷往歐洲大陸，英國若無協議脫歐，其出口市場將受到威脅。
舍弗勒全球總人力約9.2萬，在英國聘雇1,000餘人，準備吹熄燈號的普利茅斯廠雇用350人、拉內利廠則有220名員工，該公司未透露關廠後會有多少英國員工受到牽連。
在舍弗勒宣布關掉英國工廠的前一天，法國輪胎大廠米其林公布，2020年結束設在蘇格蘭丹地（Dundee）的生產線，這家工廠開設近50年，聘用845名員工。
但據英國《衛報》報導，米其林將關廠決定，歸咎於丹地廠生產的小型輪胎需求萎縮，難與亞洲製造的低價輪胎競爭，聲稱與英國脫歐無關。
即便如此，這兩家歐洲業者打算關廠，還是引來英國最大工會Unite的批評。Unite副秘書長柏克（Tony Burke）表示：「這對英國汽車供應鏈及整個汽車業，是另一沉重打擊。英國要是無協議脫歐會面臨什麼後果，大家心知肚明。」英國與歐盟達成協議，才能確保實現免關稅的零摩擦貿易（frictionless trade）。
英國汽車業一再敦促梅伊政府，將零摩擦貿易列為脫歐協商的優先要項，否則英國有流失數千個工作的風險。
其他汽車製造商與零件供應商，也重新評估在英國的投資，他們警告若是英國脫歐失序會帶來傷害。
更多追蹤報導
https://www.reuters.com/article/bri...ffler-to-close-two-uk-factories-idUSL8N1XH40S
UPDATE 3-German auto parts maker Schaeffler to close two UK factories
Thomas Seythal, Edward Taylor
4 Min Read
* Two of three plants to shut
* Logistics centres to combine
* Employs just over 1,000 in UK (Adds Unite comment on Dundee factory)
By Thomas Seythal and Edward Taylor
BERLIN/FRANKFURT, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Germany’s Schaeffler will shut two UK factories, prompted in part by Britain’s planned exit from the European Union in March, the auto parts maker said on Tuesday.
The move, which puts hundreds of jobs at risk, comes a day after French tyre maker Michelin said it would close a Scottish factory and as time is running out for an agreed Brexit process, without which trade could be heavily disrupted.
Schaeffler, which makes ball bearings, said its factories in Plymouth, southwest England, and Llanelli in Wales would close over the next couple of years, with production shifting to Germany, China, South Korea and the United States.
Currently, 85 percent of the goods Schaeffler produces in Britain are exported, mainly to continental Europe, the company said. Access to export markets is under threat if Britain is unable to reach a deal with the EU over its departure.
The closure plan follows a review of Schaeffler’s global production network that took into account future supply and demand, economic conditions, and decisions being made by carmakers, the German group said.
“Brexit is clearly not the single decisive factor behind our decision-making for the UK market, but the need to plan for various complex scenarios has brought forward the timing,” Juergen Ziegler, Schaeffler’s manager responsible for Europe, said in a statement.
The reorganisation will take up to two years to implement, Schaeffler said, and was criticised by UK trade union Unite.
“This is yet another body blow for the UK’s automotive supply chain and the wider car industry,” Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke said.
“It should leave no one in any doubt as to what is in store if the UK crashes out of the European Union without a deal that secures tariff free frictionless trade.”
Unite said it was in negotiations with Michelin in the hope of striking an agreement which would ensure the financial viability of the Dundee factory in Scotland.
Schaeffler’s decision comes as other carmakers and parts suppliers review investments in Britain, and warn of the damage that would result from a disorderly Brexit.
The German company employs around 92,000 people worldwide, including just over 1,000 in Britain. It did not say how many UK jobs would be affected by the closures, but a Unite spokesman said it had almost 300 members at the Llanelli operations alone.
Schaeffler said its plant in Sheffield, northern England, which makes clutches for cars and tractors and is its largest in Britain by revenue and workers, would survive.
It also said a logistics centre in Sutton Coldfield, central England, would see operations combined with those at a centre in Hereford, western England.
China hopes to escape bumpy landing as trade ties improve
In Llanelli, Schaeffler makes mechanical tappets and bearings for the auto industry. It produces spindle bearings and machine parts and specialised bearings for the aerospace and defence industries in Plymouth.
A “no-deal” Brexit could mean tariffs of 10 percent under World Trade Organization rules that would add an average of 3,000 euros ($3,400) to the cost of British-built cars sold in the EU if fully passed on to buyers and add 1,700 euros to the cost of European cars imported into Britain, the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said in September.
Most German firms that export to Britain are poorly prepared for a no-deal Brexit, a survey by the IW economic institute showed on Tuesday.
$1 = 0.8750 euros Reporting by Thomas Seythal and Edward Taylor, and Noor Zainab Hussain; Writing by Jason Neely and Edward Taylor; Editing by Mark Potter and Jane Merriman
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
https://www.theguardian.com/busines...ean-parts-factories-close-michelin-schaeffler
New blow for UK car industry as European parts factories close
Michelin and Schaeffler to close UK plants with 1,400 jobs at risk
Angela Monaghan
Tue 6 Nov 2018 18.01 GMT Last modified on Tue 6 Nov 2018 19.15 GMT
Shares
1,142
Goodbye Dundeee … a worker leaves Michelin’s Dundee tyre factory after the company announced plans to close the site. Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA
More than 1,400 British jobs are at risk after two European suppliers of car parts, Schaeffler and Michelin, announced plans to close UK factories in a blow to the wider automotive industry ahead of Brexit.
Schaeffler, the German car parts supplier, said uncertainty surrounding Brexit had contributed to its decision to close two UK factories, in Llanelli, Wales, and Plymouth, where 570 people are employed. The company said the closures would take place over the next two years.
French tyremaker Michelin announced plans to close its factory in Dundee in 2020, nearly 50 years after it opened and where 845 people are employed. It blamed dwindling demand for smaller tyres. It said the decision was unrelated to the Brexit vote.
At Schaeffler’s plant in Plymouth, a workforce of 350 people makes bearings and machine parts for the firm’s industrial division as well as the aerospace and defence industries.
At Llanelli, about 220 people are employed to make mechanical parts and bearings for the major car manufacturers and other industrial suppliers. The company said it would relocate production from the two UK factories to existing plants in the US, China, South Korea and Germany.
The union Unite said it would “fight for every job” as it tries to avert the closures.
Will Nissan stay once Britain leaves? How one factory explains the Brexit business dilemma – podcast
Tony Burke, assistant general secretary, said: “This is yet another body blow for the UK’s automotive supply chain and the wider car industry. It should leave no one in any doubt as to what is in store if the UK crashes out of the European Union without a deal that secures tariff-free frictionless trade.
“The uncertainty surrounding the Tories’ shambolic handling of Brexit and their piecemeal industrial strategy is having real consequences. Behind the closures and the uncertainty currently gripping the car industry and component manufacturing are people with bills to pay and families to feed.”
The wider UK car industry has repeatedly urged the government to make frictionless trade a priority in Brexit negotiations or risk the loss of thousands of UK jobs.
Schaeffler currently employs more than 1,000 people in the UK and said its factory in Sheffield would remain open, while operations at its two logistics centres in Sutton Coldfield and Hereford would be combined in Hereford.
Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk
Michelin said it was no longer financially viable to keep its Dundee factory open because of a fall in demand for premium tyres of 16-inches and smaller, which are made at the site. It also blamed a shift in that market to low-cost versions made in Asia.
John Reid, factory manager at Michelin Dundee, said: “I understand that these proposals will come as a huge blow to our employees and to the city of Dundee as a whole. It’s also a very personal blow for me.
“This factory has faced incredibly tough challenges before and we have come through thanks to the hard work and flexibility of our people and the union, and the backing of the Michelin group. However, the market for the smaller tyres we make has changed dramatically and permanently, and the company has to address these structural changes.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-46109213
Michelin workers' shock at factory closure
- 6 November 2018
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Media captionMichelin workers in Dundee react to factory closure
Dundee Michelin factory workers have spoken of their shock after the company announced its intention to close the plant, with the loss of all 845 jobs.
The tyre factory will close by mid-2020 after the French firm deemed it "unsuitable" in the current climate.
Scotland's economy secretary Derek Mackay said he will convene an action group to "explore all options to secure a sustainable future for the site."
Workers were sent home until Thursday following a meeting at the factory.
Some employees told BBC Scotland they were angry that they first learned about the decision from the media on Monday.
One worker said: "When we heard yesterday we thought it was a wind up.
"I heard it through social media, which is a big disappointment.
"The factory manager said he's disgusted at how it's been handled, how it's been leaked to the press. "
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Workers were told of the factory's closure at a morning meeting
Workers spoke of a "sombre and subdued" mood at the meeting, which came 46 years to the day after the first tyre was produced at the factory.
One said: "NCR shut years ago, Timex - Michelin's the biggest factory left in Dundee. 850 have lost their jobs.
"The unions say they'll fight, but what can they do? France has made their decision."
Media captionMichelin Dundee factory boss reflects on "difficult day"
Mr Mackay met representatives of the workforce, trade unions and Dundee City Council on a visit to the factory. He later spoke in parliament about the issue following an urgent question from local MSP Jenny Marra.
The minister said the Scottish government "will leave no stone unturned" and would do all it could to protect the workforce.
After his visit to the factory, Mr Mackay said: "I have met members of Michelin's group executive and they have agreed to consider a proposition that we will bring forward, to secure a sustainable future for the plant.
"Having spoken to the council, the unions, local politicians and UK government, I am confident there is a shared desire to work together to secure the best possible future for the site and its workforce."
Image caption Derek Mackay said the Scottish government "would do all it could" to protect the workforce
Michelin Dundee manager John Reid said the company made its decision on 9 October and it was "never the intention" for staff to find out the news in the manner that they did.
He said: "I think it's unacceptable they were put in that position.
"Clearly we have been operating in a very difficult market context for more than a year.
"We've had our volume cut three times this year.
"This year we actually produced the lowest volume we've ever produced in the factory, so it was clear that something fairly fundamental was happening."
