Robert Bosch is to close its Cardiff, UK, auto electrical parts factory at the end of next year with the loss of up to 900 jobs.
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Speculation has centred on the south Wales alternator plant for some time and this morning’s news confirmed an earlier recommendation to the Bosch board that it be closed.
Initial plans had envisaged 300 redundancies this year and continued operation of a smaller business but this was rejected in favour of complete closure and the transfer of work to Hungary.
Bosch will now negotiate redundancy terms with the plant works council and unions. A final decision is expected in weeks but it now appears inevitable all Cardiff production will transfer to eastern Europe.
Bosch Group expects to report an operating loss for 2009 – its first negative operating result in 60 years.
“I deeply regret we could not find a solution for the Cardiff plant” said Bosch group starter motors and generator (SG) division president Stefan Asenkerschbaumer in a statement.
“This is for me, one of the toughest decisions in my career – however, with my responsibility for the whole SG division, the economic situation in the market leaves me no other choice.
“Without structural adjustment, the long term commercial future of the whole division is at serious risk.”
