Peugeot to axe 700 UK jobs

HUNDREDS of car workers' jobs in Coventry are to be lost following the a decision to end the fourth shift at Peugeot Citroen's Ryton plant on June 23 following a downturn across the European car market.

The shift started in December 2002 to help the plant meet the requirements of launching two new models - the Peugeot 206 SW and the Peugeot GTi 180.

Peugeot said today: 'With the two new models now launched and in normal production, coupled with predicted market demands, the plant will now return to the more conventional three-shift operating pattern.

'The company has today started a 90-day consultation period with employee representatives to mitigate the effect of the ending of the shift on its 700 staff.'

Duncan Simpson, national officer of union Amicus, said: 'This is very sad news for the people concerned and we will now be working with the company to try to reduce the impact of the redundancies.

'In fairness to the company and to the workforce they have done everything possible including work-share practices for the past nine months to try to avoid this situation happening.'