another 440 jobs to go at Ford

[mr smith]

Originally Posted by SM1DY

Mark Robinson just had a shot at Ford on AFL 360 "Oh good on you Ford, sacking 400 people today"

Speaking of AFL I'm thinking it may be time for Ford to concentrate on its core business and give the Cats the ***.
Not sure sport sponsorship can be justified when sacking workers and getting govt handouts.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by burnz

the one's who dont want a redundacy would be over fifty years old,
i assume?? getting harder at that age for a new career.

Does anyone want to lose their job?

But its definately harder for the older blokes.

Originally Posted by Charliewool

Yep.. A big problem. And what you usually find is the more switched on, higher skilled guys that can easily get alternative employment are the ones that put their hand up first.. Hence lowering the overall company standard.
If Management has to decide who goes, lets hope it doesn't happen the Toyota way where anyone with the slightest "black mark" or wasn't liked internally got the bullet?

It won't be like Toyota, they are ****'s. But people who couldn't be stuffed turning up for work more than a couple of days a week will probably be the first ones out. There's more than a few of them.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by mr smith

Speaking of AFL I'm thinking it may be time for Ford to concentrate on its core business and give the Cats the ***.
Not sure sport sponsorship can be justified when sacking workers and getting govt handouts.

Don't forget motorsport. You'd have to imagine they will be cutting back on funding next year. Maybe just FPR and SBR.

The thing with the Cats sponsorship is that it's supposedly the longest running sponsorship deal in history. They have a very long history dating back to 1925. They wouldn't want to pull out of this, nor will they, they have already said they won't. I think they signed a new sponsorship agreement last year so it won't be up for review for at least another few years.

[kelad]

Feel for the people at Ford, i understand how they are feeling. I'm at Bosch in Clayton and every week we ship our manufacturing assembly lines to China, Mexico, Hungary and India. No more local ABS, steering wheel sensors, remote keys etc... Only diodes left by end of year and every week we have farewells...

[stevz]

Why is any of this a surprise?

You only have to look at the amount of threads on this forum that glorify and promote Hyundais, Kias, Skodas and whatever other foreign garbage.... and we scratch our heads and wonder why manufacturing in this country is well and truly down the crapper.

[Bossxr8]

I'm sure Labor will keep saying its all ok, cause we can all move to the middle of nowhere and dig holes in the ground. Who needs to live in a city?

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by stevz

Why is any of this a surprise?

You only have to look at the amount of threads on this forum that glorify and promote Hyundais, Kias, Skodas and whatever other foreign garbage.... and we scratch our heads and wonder why manufacturing in this country is well and truly down the crapper.

Good point. Buyers flock to rubbish these days, cause who cares if its a good car or not, as long as its cheap and is full of gimmicky electric crap.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

and is full of gimmicky electric crap.

That is what I like in my cars and I've bought two new ones (and insurance bought me one too, oops).

Those two new cars have also had Ford badges on them, and the next new one in 2 years will probably have one too if they keep up with the gimmickly electric crap (and its got a real engine under the hood, no spark plugs allowed).

[No.6]

I agree...Gimmicky electric crap is what is selling cars. Im part of the generation that grew up with Ipods, Iphones, Wireless PC's, Touchscreen monitors, Multimedia networked televisions and PC's, Wii, Xbox Kinect...etc...and guess who is buying cars? My generation. If ford doesnt introduce these gimmicky things that come standard with Mondeo into the Falcon, I'm sorry to say but I wont be suprised if the Falcon drops from the lineup, resulting in more job losses.

[Terror_Tree]

I don’t wish to offend anyone, but how many on AFF have bought a new car from a company other than Ford Australia? With the way Ford marketing is at the moment, if we don’t by Fords who will?

[RyanFalcon21]

DANG IT! We are stuck in a big loop, trying to save money by exporting so that more people can afford products, but losing jobs by doing so and screwing up the economy :(

[MethodX]

Originally Posted by stevz

Why is any of this a surprise?

You only have to look at the amount of threads on this forum that glorify and promote Hyundais, Kias, Skodas and whatever other foreign garbage.... and we scratch our heads and wonder why manufacturing in this country is well and truly down the crapper.

Did you know that ford were offered the VW factory at the end of ww2 and turned it down. Henry Ford 2 called it a little ***** box..

Would have been interesting to see how the auto market would be now if they had taken up the offer.

[SpoolMan]

Before the thread heads off in another direction the posts should be kept in the context of the 1st post.

[windowlicker]

Originally Posted by Terror_Tree

I don’t wish to offend anyone, but how many on AFF have bought a new car from a company other than Ford Australia? With the way Ford marketing is at the moment, if we don’t by Fords who will?

We brought a new Yaris 1.5 this time last year. Cost me 2k up front. 16,000 on a 4 yr loan, 1200 credit fee for that term (300 a year). Pure shopping trolley for wife, but took it to to melb and to Hunter Valley a few times no probs. Wish it had cruise like the 2012 model. I had a choice but the Toyota handed out Bank of Japan car loans at 3percent. I looked at Focus and Fiestas; good but no cheap finance. Ditto Hondas. Ditto Hyundai. I didn't look at GMH hatches or others.

I based my choice on finance, testdrives and the tranny feel, USB stick input availability, rep, and my experience driving different hatches from govt fleet, mostly hatches (all of them are autos).

I have been into govt social work for 5 years now. The i30 diesel has become the fleet's favorite choice between 2008 and 2012; the one they have come to prefer for various reasons. Kia, Nissans, Focus, Honda (yes the govt had a few Hybrids on trial), etc etc have been leased, used a couple of years and then never been seen again. In case you think they automatically drop them when they get to 60,000km or whatever, there are a few Hyundai i30 in the 140,000km zone. They show interior wear, but still good mech.

I didn't buy a i30 because

a. it would remind me of being at work
b. line ups at the bowsers. Most servos have 2 diesel pumps. Fill ups are a pain, even if you are being paid by the hour.

Other govt departments use Falcon and Ranger commercial vehicles (utes) which I'm not talking about here, I don't have anything to do with commercial side.

There are a heap of fleet buyers. Once it was all Commodores and Falcons. Some councils etc had Magnas. But what I see [and everyone knows this] is that many of the fleet car buyers have downsized to small hatches due to budgets and government politics (set an example to others to use burn less fossil fuel). Comm car fleet has seen changes, so more politicians use Silver Service taxi cabs and less use a LTD or a Statesman.

For Ford large cars, as the Ford email said, the numbers have been in steady decline. Ford invented mass production, and cared for his workers, but in a cruel twist of history, the ultimate assembly plants produce thousands a week and use machines to make cars. Man is getting obsolete in mass assembly work. There seems to be no such a thing as a robot unemployment rate.

[windowlicker]

I should add I'm on a shopping spree buying shares this last few months. I wouldn't buy into a manufacturing company.. I am looking at mining companies, Incitec fertiliser,... and hitech DNA "Antisense" drug companies. That seems where our economy is going, in a nutshell.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Good point. Buyers flock to rubbish these days, cause who cares if its a good car or not, as long as its cheap and is full of gimmicky electric crap.

Years back, Special value Packs were something offered in limited supply to attract buyers,
but now it seems unless Ford offers an XR6 with luxury pack for $34,990 the car is a huge FAIL.

And it's been ages since we've seen a Territory SR, maybe that would put some wood on the fire...

Just thinking what is doable at the moment to put bums on seats...

[rocket67]

Has anybody considered that Falcon sales have been slowing since Ford decided to disassociate themselves with Taxis? Falcon had a great reputation as a car that would be able to do a million klm on the original engine... The same engine that is still being fitted to new Falcons today.

Not to mention stopping production of the station wagon which was acknowledged as an ideal sales rep`s car.

Today i bought a 2009 Falcon FG G6 for $14k at Auction. What a fabulous car! Could not believe my good luck. Why oh why are Ford not telling everybody how good these cars are to drive?

Whoever calls the shots at Ford has failed dismally in my opinion. A 4 cylinder Falcon? Get real Ford. Build a Taxi Pack and reintroduce a station wagon. There are still plenty of us that want a big 6 that will tow a big boat or trailer, and get us there in comfort.
Yes... Territory will do that too for those who like the SUV. Give me a Falcon anyday.

Rocket.

[robbo/region15]

Originally Posted by mr smith

Compulsory redundancies this time around IMO.
"Trouble makers" used to union protection will be at the top of the list and just like Toyota there will be a list.
Last time we saw this scale of job losses was early 90's. Lots of people used to the credit boom and artificial economy are about to get some valuable life lessons over the coming years.

Indeed,early '90's,State Bank,,Nissan Australia,the recession we had to have said "The Lizard of Oz"........

[windowlicker]

"....Why oh why are Ford not telling everybody how good these cars are to drive?"

I agree.

On a 700km drive down the Hume to Melbourne the Yaris seats give you a ache in the backside. Its 7 hours or so.. maybe we shoulda pulled over. LOL. But I noticed in my recent trip in the AU wagon that its very comfy in those seats and you don't get an ache at all. I also find the Falcon seats sit you better and lower than the Commodore. I like being low in the car, I hate having my head touch the headlining.

Ford should mention this stuff. Australia is full of long drives.

When I was a sales rep from 2002 to 2005 I had an EB wagon, it was used, it belonged to a rep previous to me, god knows where it went. Cost me $3000. I ran it up from about 170,000km to 215,000 before I sold it off. I pedalled it, loaded, down to Albury/Shepparton or up north to the Tweed, every month. Never broke down on a trip. Never even had a flat. Hit a roo near the Port Macquarie donut once and broke some plastic, but it kept going. Only ever broke down once; near my home; my wife to the Mall in it and kept driving it after the main belt broke and it got cooked. "What red light. Only one red light came on..."

[falconnut]

Agreed.

The AU is the best roadtrip car ever, the fuel economy is fantastic too.

[minheim]

Really is sad but a sign of the times with the economy the way it is and employment being iffy for many. People and companies are nervous and scared to committ to big debts. Also the housing market is no longer providing the equity bonus that encouraged people to spend by putting a car on the house loan. Instead people are paying off debt and not incurring more.

The big problem for local maunfacturers began i think when the policy to encourage novated leasing rather than company owned cars started. That encouraged people to buy imports and cars they wanted for private use rather than business need; which in turn hit the fleet market.

Hopefully things can stabilise rather than go the way of mitsubishi; but that requires the media to stop pushing the death of the falcon and for people to cease being so pessimistic. Hopefully ford are able to right size and still maintain a manufacturing base in this country for when the good times return as they will.

I also wonder how much of the present woes at ford are attributable to constant headlines in certain media as to the end of the falcon and whether certain journalists are now realising they were undermining Holden as well

Just sorry to see so many people being laid off in such a short period in such a tough job market.

[windowlicker]

The Falcon wagon is a favorite of taxi fleets, sales reps and euro backpackers (you can sleep in it if there are too many drop bears around). And its relatively good on fuel. So, by 2022, will these customers be moved into the Territory?

..and your point about private leasing is on the mark.

Also, why should the doctors and lawyers etc lease a german or italian luxury car and claim the $2000 a month cost (or whatever) on their 'business' tax?? Why not limit the claimable portion of leased cars to the 80, 90, 100 K mark? If they want the top cars, they should pay for them out of their own pocket like the rest of us.

[Kryton]

Originally Posted by windowlicker

The Falcon wagon is a favorite of taxi fleets, sales reps and euro backpackers (you can sleep in it if there are too many drop bears around). And its relatively good on fuel. So, by 2022, will these customers be moved into the Territory?

The Territory is NOT a Falocn stationwagon replacement - wish people would realise this.
The Holden SportsWagon is the Falcon wagon replacement.

[apstar]

And to make things worse Ford just announced the late delivery that could extend to 3rd Qtr 2013 of the new Mondeo yes I know its not made in Australia [should be!] that may keep people away from the Ford showrooms compounding the problem then the dealers will start going bust,laying off service ,parts, & sales staff BUT they don't realise other manufactures are creeping in to their sales like the new Mazda 6 Skyactive that is in the same segment as the Mondeo being released early 2013 with a fantastic diesel and auto and ON TIME!

apstar

[mik]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Wrong.

Last month was a new Australian record for the number of vehicles sold in a month, so your reasoning that people aren't buying new cars is absolute garbage. They are absolutely flocking to them.

Its just that Ford has only one they want, the Territory. The lack of advertising does effect Falcon sales because they have done nothing to promote the LPi and Ecoboost versions, which is shear stupidity. Why bring something out that may appeal to people, then tell no one about it? Thats setting yourself up to fail from the get go.

But to me it seems like Ford have a plan to get Falcon down to next to nothing, so they can use their plan to switch to global platforms, hence the lack of promotion and the deliberate holding back of stock of the most in demand models. Try getting anything with an LPi engine in it. Good luck. Its easier to cut a slow selling model than a successful one isn't it.

They will struggle to get the numbers for voluntary redundancies, they fell about 30 short last time, so 12 months later it will be even less, cause the ones who wanted out have already gone. A lot of people will be stressing for the next 3 or so months wondering wether they will have a job or not come November.

just a thought regarding the new Australian auto sales record, do you think a lot of that could be?
A. because it`s end of financial year and some(mostly companies) are buying for tax purposes.

B. a rush to buy up also due to the implementation of the Carbon Tax, again mostly companies.

not being sarcastic, genuine questions.

[CSV_LS1]

This is the cover of Wednesdays Herald Sun.

[windowlicker]

Wow, how bad. Almost as tabloid as that crazy Darwin newspaper.

[krypto71]

Originally Posted by joolz

Can recall the days when the BA was introduced. We were supplying around 700 driveshafts per day.

But For Daniel Andrews to come out saying Ted do something is a bit rich. People simply arent buying cars, instead paying more on just living.

For me, your last sentence is correct. I am fortunate to have a good job, on reasonable money, but I am still driving my 03 BA, and a recently acquired 06 mazda 6. Truth be known, I would love to by a new falcon, but I can't justify spending the kind of money required to purchase one. We moved into conservation mode a fair while ago, and live well within our means, for our own sanity. Theres enough pressure financially these days on us all. Wish I could do my bit for Ford Aust, and I do hope the falcon is still around when I can take a trip down that road again.

Cheers
Steve

[BHDOGS]

so when falcon leaves followed swifty by toyota then holden what industry will the news papers destroy next?

[Struggo]

Here is part of the problem,

Only 35 per cent of the federal government's 14,115 fleet vehicles are Australian-made. Just 12 per cent of the 112,000 new cars sold between January and June were built in Australia.

http://m.smh.com.au/national/fords-g...717-228j5.html