Aston Martin could soon axe up to 600 jobs at its luxury sports car plant at Gaydon in central England.
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The automaker said in a statement it was talking with unions “on a range of cutbacks to reflect the current downturn in the world economy and the corresponding fall in car sales.
“It is hoped to do this by minimising the impact on employees as far as possible, but the possibility of up to 300 permanent and a similar number of temporary job losses cannot be ruled out,” the statement added.
UK sales to the end of October were off 25% year on year to 1,479 cars, according to SMMT data.
An Aston Martin spokesman declined to provide data for key export markets but said the downturn was “global”.
Chief executive officer Ulrich Bez said in the statement: “Like other premium car brands, Aston Martin has been forced to take action to respond to the unprecedented downturn in the global economy. These are regrettable but necessary measures in the extraordinary market conditions we all now face.
“Overall we remain confident that the Aston Martin brand is the strongest it has ever been – with dedicated design, engineering and manufacturing facilities and an award-winning product range, we remain well positioned for the upturn in the economy.”
