Holden leaving Australia
holden leaving australia
It has been widely reported that the manufacturing of Holden motor vehicles are set to leave Australia and production is to go overseas.
Holden, has recently been advertising that the motor vehicle giant will still remain to sell motor vehicles within Australia, but production of the iconic motor vehicle will be overseas, and then imported into Australia.
Almost 65 years to the day since prime minister Ben Chifley launched the first FX Holden at Fishermans Bend, Holden said remaining in Australia simply wasn’t viable.
“As painful as it is to say, building cars in this country is just not sustainable,” said GM Holden boss Mike Devereux.
Ford announced earlier this year it would cease making cars in Geelong and Broadmeadows in 2016.
Holden had said 1300 jobs would go when it closes its Port Melbourne plant, which makes the V6 engine, at the end of 2016. Its engineering centre will close by 2017.
Holden’s Adelaide factory will shut at the end of 2017, when the final Australian-made Holden rolls off the production line, costing 1600 jobs.
Holden said it would become “a national sales company” and global design studio. The sale and service of Holdens, warranty terms, and spare parts would be unaffected.
The announcement sparked uproar and a vicious blame game in federal Parliament. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten accused the Government of “sabotage” against Holden.
Workers told of their devastation as they left the Port Melbourne factory just hours after being told their jobs would be axed.
One worker could only say he was “absolutely gutted” as he walked to his car with his head down.
Another said the production team had been left “shattered”.
Father-of-three Richard Brown fought to hold back tears as he reflected on his 17 years as a mechanic with the company.
He said the hardest part is the uncertainty of how he would provide for his family in the future.
“It’s been an emotional day, but we expected it,” the 43-year-old from Geelong said.
“I’m not too happy. But that’s life.”
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