Car giant Nissan said today it is to cut 1,200 jobs in Britain the wake of the economic slowdown which has hit the motor industry hard and led to sales slumping
The jobs will go at the firm's plant in Sunderland, which employs around 5,000 workers and is one of the most long-established and biggest employers in the North East.
Shifts will be cut and 1,200 jobs axed, including 400 staff on temporary contracts.
The cuts follow increasing pleas from the motor industry for Government action to boost the availability of credit for consumers as well as firms.
Figures yesterday showed British car sales continuing to fall, down to the lowest levels in more than a decade.
Nissan sold 66,336 new cars in the UK in 2008 — only 0.14 per cent fewer than in 2007. This was a much better performance than the national average which saw new car sales slump 11.3 per cent in 2008.
However, Nissan sales for December 2008 fell 26.68 per cent compared with the same month in 2007. This compared with a national decline of 21.2 per cent.
Agencies