Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has called for urgent action to protect jobs at Jaguar Land Rover after reports that the carmaker could cut up to 4,000 salaried and management posts over the next two years.
JLR has confirmed that it is opening a voluntary redundancy programme for salaried and management employees as it seeks to reduce costs following a difficult period for the business. Reports suggest as many as 4,000 jobs could ultimately be affected, although the company has not yet confirmed a final figure.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has spoken to JLR chief executive PB Balaji and is due to meet the company’s leadership next week as the Government and unions seek to limit the impact on workers.
Graham said Unite had been warning for years about growing pressure on Britain’s automotive industry.
Writing on X, she said:
“Unite has been warning that a perfect storm has been hanging over the auto industry for years.”
She blamed a combination of long-term underinvestment, high industrial energy costs and what she described as unsustainable zero-emission vehicle mandates.
Graham added:
“Death by a thousand cuts has been going on under the nose of successive governments.”
The Unite leader confirmed that intensive discussions had taken place with the Government over the weekend and said she and Reynolds would meet JLR’s chief executive next week.
“There must be further action. There have been intensive government discussions over the weekend to look at how to mitigate these job losses at JLR.”
JLR remains one of Britain’s most important manufacturers, employing around 30,000 people in the UK, with major operations in Solihull, Wolverhampton and Halewood. Its wider supply chain supports many more jobs, including significant numbers in small and medium-sized businesses.
The company has faced a succession of pressures. Revenues fell 9.6 per cent year-on-year to £6 billion in the three months to the end of June, alongside lower vehicle volumes. JLR is also continuing to recover from last year’s major cyber-attack, which forced production to stop at its UK factories for several weeks.
Following that attack, the Labour Government backed a £1.5 billion loan guarantee designed to give JLR greater financial certainty and protect its extensive supply chain. The support was provided through UK Export Finance and was intended to safeguard jobs and smaller suppliers affected by the shutdown.
Graham highlighted Unite’s role in securing that intervention.
“Unite was pivotal in securing the £1.5 billion government facility for JLR after the cyber-attack. Once again, we will leave no stone unturned to support these workers.”
She added:
“It cannot be acceptable that workers are again made to pay the price.”
JLR is also dealing with weaker sales, increased international competition and the consequences of its transition towards electric vehicles. The company has outlined plans to make around £1.7 billion of savings as it seeks to strengthen its finances.
The situation presents an important test for Labour’s wider ambition to reindustrialise Britain and protect high-quality manufacturing employment.
The forthcoming meeting involving Reynolds, Graham and JLR’s leadership will therefore be closely watched, with the immediate focus on reducing compulsory job losses and securing the long-term future of one of Britain’s most strategically important manufacturers.
For Graham, the principle is clear: the transition facing Britain’s automotive sector cannot be delivered by repeatedly asking workers and communities to absorb the cost.
