Geelong plant closure

The Ford engine is unique to Australia. No other company has an engine that is only made and sold in Australia. It is a pity people will loose jobs but the reality is that the Ford engine plant was always going to close sooner or later.
So the workers will need to find new jobs, so what. Us self employed tradespeople have to find new jobs very regularly.
The most annoying thing is the garbage the journalists come up with and somehow try to blame governments for the closures.
Ford is in financial trouble and is even selling (profitable) Land Rover.
The company has to make money or many more workers will lose jobs.
By the way, I have only ever owned one Ford, a new at the time XF ute and I would never buy another Ford. Most of my freinds that have owned late model Fords would never buy another one either.

Ian

FORWARD PLANNING AT BOTH H AND F IS NEXT TO USELESS.

Fords six was always going to go along with production of large cars.

Ford should have put a diesel in the terrirtry but NO lets put a gas guzzling six in there.

Australians have been into the small car for years.

Hello hate to say it but look at toyota.

Holden did the same many years ago no engine.

Michael

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Originally Posted by amtravic1

The Ford engine is unique to Australia. No other company has an engine that is only made and sold in Australia. It is a pity people will loose jobs but the reality is that the Ford engine plant was always going to close sooner or later.
So the workers will need to find new jobs, so what. Us self employed tradespeople have to find new jobs very regularly.
The most annoying thing is the garbage the journalists come up with and somehow try to blame governments for the closures.
Ford is in financial trouble and is even selling (profitable) Land Rover.
The company has to make money or many more workers will lose jobs.
By the way, I have only ever owned one Ford, a new at the time XF ute and I would never buy another Ford. Most of my freinds that have owned late model Fords would never buy another one either.

Ian

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On the news last night they said (and we all believe the news, don't we?) that the current engines made at the plant will not comply with new emission rules.

I wonder how many workers gained any qualifications during their time at Ford. I took every opportunity to progress myself while I was in the workforce. I did many courses outside of work so I could gain the magic pieces of paper. Foreman at 5 places, production manager at another and finally a TAFE teacher. I lived on $15,000 to $28,000 per year while raising 3 kids while I studied and I only went to grade 10 at high school. Finally I hit a great wage at TAFE, $65,000 per year, 9 weeks leave, 4 day week, and a 36.25 hr week.

Some of the Ford workers will find it hard to get other work as they can only assemble engines and nothing more. Sad but true.

Just like Land Rover did many years ago Ford will pull out of Australia as we are only a small market and have high manufacturing costs. Sad to see the plant go but that is progress.

I do not see why Ford could not have a smaller engine factory in Australia. They have known the big six was going to be phased out for years. I do believe this plant was actually turning a profit (ford corporate losing money worldwide). It is a shame Ford do not have the commitment to build a small engine plant here, instead it will go overseas to a cheaper economy and then they will come back into Australia.
Others are right Ford workers should support their employer and drive a Ford, but saying they should be driving a Ford less than 5 years old is just stupid. Most of these factory workers are not high paid and probablly would not be able to afford a new car once or twice in their lives let alone every 5 years. I know I cant and I am not on bad money.
The sad think is it is not just the 600 odd Ford jobs but roughly for every job Ford axes 2-3 more follow in support industries.
At least at the Holden plant in Adelaide a fair proportion of people drive late model Holdens or at least appear too.
My brother worked at the Mitsubishi plant in Adelaide for a while and the discount was a bit better than 5% from memory but also came with an interest free loan to purchase. He probablly would have taken advantage of it had he been their long enough. But same thing 6 months after starting work for them massive cutbacks.

Ford had an engine plant for 4cyl motors for the Laser and Telstar...shut down several years ago. Still sitting empty...was one of the most advanced alloy engine facilities in the world.

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Originally Posted by CraigE

I do not see why Ford could not have a smaller engine factory in Australia. They have known the big six was going to be phased out for years. I do believe this plant was actually turning a profit (ford corporate losing money worldwide). It is a shame Ford do not have the commitment to build a small engine plant here, instead it will go overseas to a cheaper economy and then they will come back into Australia.
Others are right Ford workers should support their employer and drive a Ford, but saying they should be driving a Ford less than 5 years old is just stupid. Most of these factory workers are not high paid and probablly would not be able to afford a new car once or twice in their lives let alone every 5 years. I know I cant and I am not on bad money.
The sad think is it is not just the 600 odd Ford jobs but roughly for every job Ford axes 2-3 more follow in support industries.
At least at the Holden plant in Adelaide a fair proportion of people drive late model Holdens or at least appear too.
My brother worked at the Mitsubishi plant in Adelaide for a while and the discount was a bit better than 5% from memory but also came with an interest free loan to purchase. He probablly would have taken advantage of it had he been their long enough. But same thing 6 months after starting work for them massive cutbacks.

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Well i work for holden and yes most of the cars in the car park are late model holdens ill tell you that most of the people dont own them cause they are lease cars thru the company
Now my wife who doesnt work because of reasons wants a lease car which i can get through work but i wont its only because there is no security in any job and if i got a lease car she would sell her car the money would disapear on something else and if i lost my job you loose the car so you have no job no money and no car
My wife owns a falcon reason being is she and i prefer the ford over a H
They age old saying if you work in a lolly factory you soon get sick of lolly,s
Sorry to say if everyone that worked at ford bought and updated a new ford every 5 years that would not save their jobs
So am i bad that i work for holden and i dont own one
Id hate to be the same as mr joe average im a indervidual and im staying that way

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Originally Posted by rangieman

Id hate to be the same as mr joe average im a indervidual and im staying that way

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you just proved my point :P

Reminds me of the saying..

I'm an individual.... Just like everyone else.....






Job security be damned..!!!!!!
The company is in business to make money. All businesses generally are.

We complain when the economy turns to sh:pit but do nothing about it.
Cheap fruit from overseas vs local stuff we often just buy the shops offerings (usually USA for oranges etc...)
Cars? Cheap Hyundai or Daewoo please....
Parts for vehicles... I'll buy direct from OS to save a few dollars here and there...

All of these remove the ability for local businesses to sustain themselves...


As a general rule... The company you work for (leave,Long service etc withstanding) owe YOU, the worker... NOTHING.

They pay you to do a job... You do it right they may make a profit (lets you keep job) so you work more, they pay you.... Simple...

No sales = No product = No work to be done = No work.... Simple....

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Originally Posted by tombraider

Reminds me of the saying..

I'm an individual.... Just like everyone else.....






Job security be damned..!!!!!!
The company is in business to make money. All businesses generally are.

We complain when the economy turns to sh:pit but do nothing about it.
Cheap fruit from overseas vs local stuff we often just buy the shops offerings (usually USA for oranges etc...)
Cars? Cheap Hyundai or Daewoo please....
Parts for vehicles... I'll buy direct from OS to save a few dollars here and there...

All of these remove the ability for local businesses to sustain themselves...


As a general rule... The company you work for (leave,Long service etc withstanding) owe YOU, the worker... NOTHING.

They pay you to do a job... You do it right they may make a profit (lets you keep job) so you work more, they pay you.... Simple...

No sales = No product = No work to be done = No work.... Simple....

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Sad but true.

I'll get shot but we Land Rover owners are doing the same, although we don't have an alternative choice that is made in Australia. Check out where your Rover is made .... see what I mean. We would be the first to grizzle if the government banned imports of Rovers, or put high levies on them just to save local jobs.

At least in Australia we have the choice to buy what we like no matter where it is made.

Freedom of choice is what we want so we pay the consequences of it.

Sorry, I also own a Daihatsu and of Course a Landrover so how hypocrytical is it for any of us on here to criticise others for not supporting their employer when in reality we don't even support Australian made.

There is a diesel coming for Territory, always has been but not until Australian's got over the "you need a big 6 or 8 in a family car". Simple marketing. To Target Territory is a bit of a joke as it is one of the biggest success stories in recent Australian Car Manufacturing so they obviously got it right. The AU Falcon was a great example of how fuel efficient a 6 could be... no one cared because they didn't like the styling.

Ford have a reasonably good plan for those who work for them it varies from vehicle to vehicle but would average around the 4-5% better on promotions.

Why reopen the old 4cyl plant when you can import engines you already produce at lower cost? (I believe they are replacing the straight 6 with a V6)

I feel sorry for those loosing their jobs but at least they have been given warning of what is happening. Wasn't that long ago they would have just rocked up to locked gates one day and no job.

As others have said there is no such thing as a "safe job anymore

With you "BarryJ" we must have been typing at the same time!