Big shakeup at holden

[Reaper8]

just heard that holden are havina big shapeup with long time employee's being pay'd off, people with lots of work cover copin the same, 1 shift being dropped. A work mate told me that the ceo is apparantly doing a speech conserning only the cruze hatch being built here and the rest being built overseas. anyone else heard of this

[ivorya]

http://www.caradvice.com.au/157192/h...duction-shift/

[Joe5619]

That is not good news... However it doesn't sound like they are going far enough if you ask me.. Still making 400 cars a day. 400 x 5 days per week x 4.3 weeks in a month & that is still 8600 a month. They haven't sold this many years in one month for years.

[Reaper8]

its not just holden that will suffer, walker exhaust will drop from 2 shift to one, cubic pacific will do the same and there are a lot of other companys around holden that are going to do the same. Lots of jobs going to be lost down the chain.

[stevz]

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-n...201-1qt8p.html

Jobs losses flagged at Holden's SA plant
February 1, 2012 - 7:39PM

AAP

Holden's temporary and casual workers could lose their jobs at the car maker's Elizabeth plant because the high Australian dollar has hit export growth, South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill says.

But the permanent workforce will not be hit by the job cuts, he says.

Workers are expected to be told this week how it will affect them.
Advertisement: Story continues below

The premier made his comments on Wednesday after news of the decision became public.

"It does indicate that the future security of Holden's will depend on us being able to ensure that Holden's invest in a new platform which will secure jobs into the future," the premier said in Adelaide.

Mr Weatherill said that platform would not be dependent to the same degree on fluctuations in the dollar.

Holden managing director Mike Devereux is in Adelaide to tell workers about operations and is expected to release details on Thursday.

Mr Weatherill did not say how many workers would be affected, only that casual and temporary jobs would be "scaled back" over the next few months owing to fewer than anticipated export sales.

There is uncertainty over the car maker's long-term manufacturing future in Australia.

Mr Weatherill said negotiations were taking place between Holden, the South Australian and federal governments on assistance measures.

He said the state government had been told in December that job losses were on the cards, and had argued against them.

"What this demonstrates is the seriousness of the current talks," he said.

Mr Weatherill said SA would do what it could to safeguard the 2000 jobs at Elizabeth and the total 8000 jobs in the industry.

Without change they were not secure, he said.

Mr Weatherill said Holden expected the job losses to come via natural attrition over several months.

The government would support the affected workers where possible, he said.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by Reaper8

its not just holden that will suffer, walker exhaust will drop from 2 shift to one, cubic pacific will do the same and there are a lot of other companys around holden that are going to do the same. Lots of jobs going to be lost down the chain.

N ot good, not good at all.

[z80]

There's a global recession, and in spite of our astronomically high currency we are still paying $1.50 a litre for gasoline.

Big car makers are being deserted by consumers who view large cars as being inferior whether they are or not.

Holden is just as much a casualty as Ford.

Our locally built cars should be less than half the price we pay for them.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by z80

Our locally built cars should be less than half the price we pay for them.

Really? how will they make profit then?

a falcon for 16999?... thats just silly.

while our country has low import tariffs etc, local manfacture of goods is going to be on the razors edge...

I see Reckitt Benckiser has shifted its operations to India.

[Gobes32]

Anyone who has been through this will tell you it's a shotty stuation, hopefully it is only temporary although I don't like where things are going with that Cruze announcement.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by Gobes32

Anyone who has been through this will tell you it's a shotty stuation, hopefully it is only temporary although I don't like where things are going with that Cruze announcement.

So its fair dinkum? Hatch only?


I don't think people would be surprised...kick in the guts though...

[bobthebilda]

It will be interesting to know what Jay weatherill meant when he said -

"It does indicate that the future security of Holden's will depend on us being able to ensure that Holden's invest in a new platform which will secure jobs into the future," the premier said in Adelaide.

Mr Weatherill said that platform would not be dependent to the same degree on fluctuations in the dollar.

Either Holden are planning to pay its employees and suppliers in US dollars, or Elizabeth will be moving to manufacturing CKD kits only (which is what the cruze basically is anyhow)

[z80]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Really? how will they make profit then?

a falcon for 16999?... thats just silly.

while our country has low import tariffs etc, local manfacture of goods is going to be on the razors edge...

I see Reckitt Benckiser has shifted its operations to India.

Ford Focus 2.0 Litre $17295 in the US
http://apps.dealerconnection.com/dea...c/1/0&fps=true

Ford Focus 2.0 Litre $30171 in Aus

http://www.ford.com.au/servlet/Satel...apper&site=FOA

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by z80

Ford Focus 2.0 Litre $17295 in the US
http://apps.dealerconnection.com/dea...c/1/0&fps=true

Ford Focus 2.0 Litre $30171 in Aus

http://www.ford.com.au/servlet/Satel...apper&site=FOA

Whats that got to do with locally built cars?

[burnz]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-0...vereux/3805150

General manager Mike Devereux will be in Adelaide on Thursday to make an announcement to the workforce about operations.

and this
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-1...es-twt/3769638

[Bossxr8]

The Cruze hatch absolutely tanked. Sales actually dropped when they released it, can't figure out how they managed that. I know it looks like crap but still.

Its bad people losing their jobs, but the good thing is that maybe the general buying public have now realised just how mediocre the Cruze is compared to its rivals.

About time.

[Road_Warrior]

Does the fact that Holden's manufacturing facilites are in another state, in any way hamper operations? Considering the 'main' supplier base is in Victoria. I'm just thinking of economies of scale and efficiency with all the car makers in one convenient location...

[Joe5619]

Originally Posted by z80

Ford Focus 2.0 Litre $17295 in the US
http://apps.dealerconnection.com/dea...c/1/0&fps=true

Ford Focus 2.0 Litre $30171 in Aus

http://www.ford.com.au/servlet/Satel...apper&site=FOA

You expect a large car to sell at the same price as a small car??

Do you EVER compete apples with apples?? EVER??


Also a US focus is built in the us, our Fcus is built in Europe & paid for with EUR. Then there is the shipping costs to get it to Australia, that the US one does not have!!

[burnz]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

The Cruze hatch absolutely tanked. Sales actually dropped when they released it, can't figure out how they managed that. I know it looks like crap but still.

Its bad people losing their jobs, but the good thing is that maybe the general buying public have now realised just how mediocre the Cruze is compared to its rivals.

About time.

cruze sale's up 19.2%...

[Bossxr8]

Holden were expecting upto a 50% increase.

[Nikked]

I get the feeling wagons increase sales, while eat into exsisting sales...

In some cases, it would have a negative effect on baseline profit...

[burnz]

were they?? umm no!!
a moderate one..which is exactly as predicted.

post in respone for boss..not you nikk

[RASER]

And in the end just Toyota is left standing, making *quality* vehicles in Oz

Who would have thought a Japanese would outlast the Big3 Americans [Well Chrysler left the building a long time ago] and not a RWD in sight!

[stevz]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

The Cruze hatch absolutely tanked. Sales actually dropped when they released it, can't figure out how they managed that. I know it looks like crap but still.

Its bad people losing their jobs, but the good thing is that maybe the general buying public have now realised just how mediocre the Cruze is compared to its rivals.

About time.

The Cruze hatch was lauched in what, mid October? November, December and January are traditionally the slowest months for sales. Give it time, you can't expect sales to jump 50% overnight.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by stevz

The Cruze hatch was lauched in what, mid October? November, December and January are traditionally the slowest months for sales. Give it time, you can't expect sales to jump 50% overnight.

Everything slowed down then, lots of brands went off the boil but you have to admit that
Holden need to take measures to secure the future and ensure the right production levels.

I have a feeling that Holden is looking at Alpha platform for a Torana-Commodore combo
much earlier than 2018, (maybe 2016) and just going back to importing Cruze II .

Something is afoot here, there's not much money in Cruze production in Australia,
buyers are too fickle with support of higher trim levels to stabilize the deal..

I hope Holden get through this, it's looking much tougher than Ford's position,
they are geared to two shifts and if they drop one, a lot of changes are needed...

[z80]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

You expect a large car to sell at the same price as a small car??

Do you EVER compete apples with apples?? EVER??!!

I compared a Focus with a Focus, and drawing the inference that the ratio is the ratio is the ratio.

Get it?

Originally Posted by Joe5619

Also a US focus is built in the us, our Fcus is built in Europe & paid for with EUR. Then there is the shipping costs to get it to Australia, that the US one does not have!!

Mate...you've never shipped anything have you? It's not that expensive in surface freight terms.




Find me a Falcon made in the US and it will be roughly half the price it is here.

That's my point...we pay way too much for our locally made cars.

I'm sure Ford and GM have been laughing all the way to the bank since our currency rose to parity....and the tidy profits leaving our shores back to the US.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by z80

Find me a Falcon made in the US and it will be roughly half the price it is here.

FWD Taurus base model starts out at US $25,000

That's my point...we pay way too much for our locally made cars.

I'm sure Ford and GM have been laughing all the way to the bank since our currency rose to parity....and the tidy profits leaving our shores back to the US.

Yep, Fusion starts at about $19,000 in the US and Mondeo titanium on the road in the UK is around AUS$33,000.
Price gouging or defending Falcon prices?

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by z80

That's my point...we pay way too much for our locally made cars.

well, if the production line workers earnt $10 hr the falcon would be cheaper...

[bobthebilda]

Originally Posted by jpd80

I have a feeling that Holden is looking at Alpha platform for a Torana-Commodore combo
much earlier than 2018, (maybe 2016) and just going back to importing Cruze II .
Something is afoot here, there's not much money in Cruze production in Australia,..

But in complete sarcasm, there has to be money in the cruze. Taxpayers put in $149 million (and we kept getting told Holden put in $2 for every taxpayer dollar). $450 million dollars is a big bet to play, if there was never going to be any money in it.

But in reality, cruze production was just a knee jerk reaction to try and keep Holden afloat, its now looking like it wasnt based on any common sense or business sense. Fortunately Ford never went the local small car path, or they would probably be bleeding alot more money.


Does anyone know if Holden are currently making 450 a day (newspapers arent the most reliable source of information). Even if they go to 400 a day, it still seems out off line with current sales.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by bobthebilda

But in complete sarcasm, there has to be money in the cruze. Taxpayers put in $149 million (and we kept getting told Holden put in $2 for every taxpayer dollar). $450 million dollars is a big bet to play, if there was never going to be any money in it.

But in reality, cruze production was just a knee jerk reaction to try and keep Holden afloat, its now looking like it wasnt based on any common sense or business sense. Fortunately Ford never went the local small car path, or they would probably be bleeding alot more money.

I tend to agree with you, Toyota and Ford both said there was no money in locally built small cars

Does anyone know if Holden are currently making 450 a day (newspapers arent the most reliable source of information). Even if they go to 400 a day, it still seems out off line with current sales.

They were 480/day and planning more with Cruze hatch so 400/ day is about 100/day drop.
So what's that a month....still around 9,000 cars a month, boy that sounds a lot...

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by burnz

were they?? umm no!!
a moderate one..which is exactly as predicted.

post in respone for boss..not you nikk

They were talking it up that hatches make up a very high perecentage of small car sales, and they were only playing in a small part of that market with the sedan, implying that they would increase sales massively. Yet sales have dropped every month since the hatch was released.

It was running in the top 3 before the hatch came, and hasn't come close since. Just look at the numbers from the last 4 or 5 months, dropped every month.