Nissan, which operates Britain’s biggest car factory in Sunderland, northeast England, reportedly has delayed the start of pay talks with workers until Brexit terms become clearer.
The UK government and the EU hope to reach a deal by next month but automakers have triggered contingency plans for any lack of agreement including changing their shutdown periods, stockpiling parts and certifying models in the European Union, Reuters noted.
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Automakers generally sign two year pay deals with their staff. Nissan was due to start negotiating with its workforce this autumn, Reuters said.
“In agreement with our employee representatives, the 2019/2020 pay negotiations in our UK plant and technical centre will commence in 2019 when we have better clarity on the future business outlook,” a spokesman told Reuters.
The firm, which built nearly one in three of the 1.67m new cars built in Britain last year at its Sunderland plant, warned earlier this month a ‘no-deal’ Brexit would have “serious implications” for British industry.
Port and motorway delays could slow the movement of components and finished models, crippling output and adding costs, if Britain fails to reach agreement with the EU over its departure from the bloc on 29 March.
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By GlobalDataNissan said in 2016 it would build two new models at its Sunderland site after what a Reuters source said was a letter from the British government promising extra support if Brexit hit competitiveness at the factory.
Carmakers have Brexit contingency plans – report
