Holden: 650 sacked from Adelaide plant!

[adrenaline]

Holden to sack 650 from Adelaide plant

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...html?from=news

AS many as 650 workers at Holden's Elizabeth car manufacturing plant in South Australia will lose their jobs as the company adjusts to improved high technology automated operations by shedding labour.

The Australian understands workers will be given voluntary redundancies, with the federal and South Australian governments expected to offer retraining and other assistance to those left unemployed.

The job cuts represents 13 per cent of the 4500 workforce at the Elizabeth plant, which has been promoted by Holden as one of the most flexible and efficient operations in the world.

Holden's Elizabeth plant is the principal manufacturer of the Commondore, but produces a range of passenger and commercial vehicles for domestic and export markets.

Big job cuts come at a sensitive time for the company as it is about to start production of a new range of Commodore utes and station wagons.

They also come at a politically sensitive time for the Howard Government, with two marginal Liberal seats in the area that could be under threat in an election year.

The Elizabeth plant is located in Wakefield, held by David Fawcett with a 0.7 per cent seat margin, while most workers live in nearby Makin, held by Trish Draper with a 1 per cent swing needed to fall to Labor.

Senior sources indicated yesterday that the Holden workers were largely victims of their own success as the Elizabeth plant moved to a more efficient hi-tech assembly line.

Another factor affecting car manufacturers worldwide is the move by consumers to smaller cars in response to higher petrol prices.

Holden has prided itself on investment in plant and technology to achieve "rigorous cost, quality and volume objectives."

It insists the multi-skilled workforce at Elizabeth is committed to continuous improvement of quality standards by developing more efficient means of production and process control.

Holden confirmed its decision to "reduce the workforce size of South Australian operations" with an official announcement at 3:30 pm (SA time).

It is understood that the South Australian Government was not given advance notice of the job losses.

So I understand that it is due to technology replacing people. You would think they'd need all the labour they can get seeing as they will be operating at much higher capacity once the production of the G8 starts.

[fpv_gtho]

They may be planning to go on a hiring-spree as the demand becomes a reality

[IBrake4Rainbows]

it's always easier to find workers than to have to keep them when there ain't anything for them to do.

these people will get decent redundancy payments. then they might be able to get they're job back. who knows? the americans might like the G8......

[2ndclasscitizen]

I'd say Holden already has the production volumes planned out, since they'll only be sending 30,000 (or was it 50,000) over to the USA.

[SlickHolden]

I herd ABC in the U.S was running some shit about why GM should pull out of OZ, I'll give them 3900 reasons why they shouldn't. But it's easier to axe something outside your own property then it is to axe it in your own backyard.
Even when you know dam well your own backyard is a mess and the neighbours isn't but you still got to shit on the neighbour as it's much easier then cleaning your own mess up.

[fpv_gtho]

Well slick i wouldnt be surprised if GM thinks it would be better to shut down what they have here, and shift it over to all their empty plants in America.

[SlickHolden]

Well slick i wouldnt be surprised if GM thinks it would be better to shut down what they have here, and shift it over to all their empty plants in America.

I wouldnt be supprissed also, And they got plenty of them plants empty to .

[adrenaline]

Well slick i wouldnt be surprised if GM thinks it would be better to shut down what they have here, and shift it over to all their empty plants in America.

I wouldn't mind seeing GM introducing the Holden brand to the states, with the Commodore family, LWB models and the Torana. They could manufacture over there in high capacity and export to Australia. Commodore would kick ass in the states, as would a Torana sized model.

[SlickHolden]

And that might only be the way for them to fully get excepted there also.

[fpv_gtho]

I wouldn't mind seeing GM introducing the Holden brand to the states, with the Commodore family, LWB models and the Torana. They could manufacture over there in high capacity and export to Australia. Commodore would kick ass in the states, as would a Torana sized model.

Thousands of workers here would probably disagree.

The expenditure to upgrade their US factories is probably one big hurdle that has stopped them already doing it, although i dont think with Holdens recent export success, they'd be willing to bargain their product with the tag of "Made in America". Right now it seems our products are viewed as higher product than those made stateside, whether true or not, there's perhaps a better business case to keep any American made vehicles to American consumption, whilst the Elizabeth plant deals with its current load of Aussie bound vehicles, and Europe bound exports.

[redstone]

I herd ABC in the U.S was running some shit about why GM should pull out of OZ, I'll give them 3900 reasons why they shouldn't. But it's easier to axe something outside your own property then it is to axe it in your own backyard.
Even when you know dam well your own backyard is a mess and the neighbours isn't but you still got to shit on the neighbour as it's much easier then cleaning your own mess up.

Too true. I work at Holdens & it was no surprise 600 packages have been offered. So far ~2000 people have applied for one. But if this place does sink, I'll be going down with the ship.

[Zytek_Fan]

I wouldn't mind seeing GM introducing the Holden brand to the states, with the Commodore family, LWB models and the Torana. They could manufacture over there in high capacity and export to Australia. Commodore would kick ass in the states, as would a Torana sized model.

Some Holden models have been seen here, it's just they were rebadged. The Pontiac GTO was nothing more than a rebadged Holden Monaro, and I have seen a few new Saturns that look an awful lot like a Holden (or a Vauxhall)

[Zytek_Fan]

Thousands of workers here would probably disagree.

The expenditure to upgrade their US factories is probably one big hurdle that has stopped them already doing it, although i dont think with Holdens recent export success, they'd be willing to bargain their product with the tag of "Made in America". Right now it seems our products are viewed as higher product than those made stateside, whether true or not, there's perhaps a better business case to keep any American made vehicles to American consumption, whilst the Elizabeth plant deals with its current load of Aussie bound vehicles, and Europe bound exports.

ATM a lot of people are turning towards foreign cars, mostly because they are of superior quality. I am pretty sure Holdens could sell very well here in the States.

[adrenaline]

Some Holden models have been seen here, it's just they were rebadged. The Pontiac GTO was nothing more than a rebadged Holden Monaro, and I have seen a few new Saturns that look an awful lot like a Holden (or a Vauxhall)

Yes, it's common knowledge that they sent over the Monaro as a GTO, and that the upcoming G8 is a re-badged Commodore SS. What I was suggesting was taking it further and introducing the Holden brand to the states. No upcoming Saturn vehicles will be re-badged Holdens. However, the Aura is built on the Commodore's architecture (Zeta, or more recently known as GM's Global RWD platform)

[Zytek_Fan]

Yes, it's common knowledge that they sent over the Monaro as a GTO, and that the upcoming G8 is a re-badged Commodore SS. What I was suggesting was taking it further and introducing the Holden brand to the states. No upcoming Saturn vehicles will be re-badged Holdens. However, the Aura is built on the Commodore's architecture (Zeta, or more recently known as GM's Global RWD platform)

I for one would love to see Holdens here