New Nissan model welcomed

Nissan’s decision to go-ahead with the next generation Juke car is ‘another positive step in the renaissance of the British car industry’, Unite has said.

The estimated £100m investment in the flagship model at the Sunderland site secures the future for both production lines at the UK’s biggest car plant and the jobs of 34,000 workers currently employed by Nissan and its British suppliers beyond 2020.

The announcement scotched fears that the new version could be made at one of the company’s overseas plants. The firm is now Brtain’s biggest ever car maker, producing more than half a million vehicles last year.

Warm welcome

Unite assistant general secretary for manufacturing, Tony Burke, said: “We warmly welcome the decision of Nissan to build the new Juke model in the UK, when it could have gone to one of Nissan’s plants abroad. 

 

“The decision demonstrates the confidence the industry has in a highly skilled and dedicated workforce across the UK automotive industry and is a tribute to the close working relationship between management and unions built up over the last decade.

 

Secured

 

“Unite’s union reps and the Sunderland workforce have worked hard to secure the investment which will protect thousands of decent skilled jobs for the foreseeable future.

 

“This news is another vote of confidence in the continuing renaissance of the British car industry”, he added.

 

Nissan Europe chairman, Paul Willcox, said Sunderland had earned the deal through “many years of hard work and their ability to continually raise the bar on quality.”