Carmaker Ford has said it is shedding 12,000 jobs in Europe to increase profitability, as part of a global trend of cost cutting by automakers facing shifting consumer tastes and heavy investments in electric cars.
The job cuts are part of a broad restructuring at Ford that includes the already announced closure of six plants in Europe.
Ford is reducing its total number of plants in the region to 18 and is reorganising its business into three divisions: commercial vehicles, passenger cars and imports of Ford models such as the Mustang.
The job cuts are part of a broad restructuring at Ford (Amr Alfiky/AP)
Ford of Europe said on Thursday that the positions in Europe would be eliminated mostly by voluntary separation programs through to the end of 2020.
Some 2,000 lost jobs would be salaried positions, part of 7,000 white collar jobs being cut as part of a global restructuring by the company based in Dearborn, Michigan, US.
“Separating employees and closing plants are the hardest decisions we make”, Ford of Europe president Stuart Rowley said.
He added that the company was “providing support to ease the impact”.
$398 million
The amount Ford lost in Europe in 2018
Ford of Europe, based in Cologne, Germany, said it hoped to “significantly improve” its financial results in Europe, moving toward sustained profitability and a longer-term goal of 6% operating margins.
Ford lost $398 million (£313,152,370) in 2018 in Europe.
Mr Rowley said that financials would improve this year but stopped short of predicting a full-year profit.
Ford Motor Company and other global automakers are facing multiple challenges, including the expensive push to develop electric cars that will help them meet new emission rules in Europe and comply with regulations favouring alternative energy vehicles in China.
They need strong profits to fund those investments.
Ford of Europe said all its new vehicles would come with an electric variant, such as a battery or battery-internal combustion hybrid, and that it would build a future family of electric vehicles in Europe.
The company has already said it is closing its Bridgend engine plant in Wales, a transmission plant in France, and three plants in Russia.
It is selling its Kechnec transmission plant in Slovakia to Magna.
Cork Airport has welcomed the news that Ryanair has added over 330 additional return flights to France, Italy and Spain for its Summer 2019 season.
Cork Airport.
The airline’s new service to Naples, Italy for Summer 2019 will also launch a month early due to high demand.
Over 54,000 extra seats will be added to routes across Barcelona Girona, Barcelona Reus, Bordeaux, Carcassonne and Milan Bergamo, for travel between June and August 2019.
The recently announced twice-weekly service to Naples, originally due to commence in July 2019, will now run from June to August next year, adding over 1,700 seats.
In 2019, 2.6 million passengers are forecasted to travel through Cork Airport.
Over 50 routes will be on offer, including the recent Ryanair announcements of Naples, along with Poznań, Budapest and Malta.
Niall MacCarthy, Managing Director at Cork Airport said: “Today’s announcement to extend these very popular summer sun routes underlines the ongoing investment Ryanair is making in their extensive network from Cork Airport.
These destinations offer Ryanair customers in Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford, and the entire South of Ireland region, the opportunity to enjoy a great summer holiday next year while experiencing the award-winning customer service synonymous with Cork Airport.
“We will deliver our fourth consecutive year of growth in 2019 with a further increase of 7%. I am confident of further positive announcements as our business development team is working continuously to make that growth happen.”
Ryanair’s Robin Kiely said: “With the weather getting colder, it’s the perfect time to start planning a summer escape and Ryanair is pleased to launch extra flights from Cork during June and August 2019.
These extra flights at amazing low prices will be quickly snapped up, so we advise early bookings to avoid missing out.
A self-driving passenger bus trial in Scotland will take passengers across the Forth Road Bridge.
Described as a world first, the UK Government-funded trial will see five autonomous single-deck vehicles running between Edinburgh and Fife but regulations mean a driver will remain on board during all journeys.
Funding of £4.35 million was awarded by the UK Government through Innovate UK with additional investment from operator Stagecoach, Transport Scotland and other organisations.
Once complete, the ADL Enviro200 vehicles will operate between Ferrytoll Park & Ride in Fife and the Edinburgh Park Train and Tram interchange.
Buses will operate on-road and using the hard shoulder, as well as using the dedicated public transport corridor across the Forth Road Bridge.
The autonomous services will be capable of carrying up to 42 passengers for the 14-mile journey, with buses running every 20 minutes.
Work on the project is expected to get underway during the second quarter of next year, with services operating from 2020.
£4.35m
Funding awarded by the UK Government through Innovate UK
Scotland’s Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said: “The deployment of these vehicles in Scotland will bring transformative change to the way we travel and work, as well as having a positive impact on the economy, the environment and safety.
“This collaborative trial, using one of the country’s most iconic transport corridors, shows Scotland is very much open for business in this innovative sector.
“I very much welcome the strong Scottish contingent in the bid team and I look forward to following this project with great interest.”
In the short-term, buses will be used in autonomous mode only within the depot environment, to carry out movements such as parking and moving into the fuelling station and bus wash.
Using self-driving vehicles within depots more widely could help improve safety, efficiency and space utilisation within the depot.
Gibraltar’s chief minister Fabian Picardo has said he is willing to discuss directly with the Spanish government their bilateral relations after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union.
But Mr Picardo warned on Thursday that the sovereignty of the British territory at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula is non-negotiable.
Spain has never dropped its claim of jurisdiction over the rocky outcrop, and its government has baulked at the possibility of its post-Brexit future being decided between London and EU authorities without direct Spanish involvement.
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has threatened to vote against the planned Brexit agreement unless Spain’s misgivings are addressed.
Mr Picardo told Gibraltar’s parliament that as long as issues such as sovereignty, jurisdiction and control of the territory are off the table, he is happy to discuss close cooperation with Madrid.
The Central Bank is introducing measures to help consumers make savings on their mortgage repayments.
It is introducing changes to the Consumer Protection Code to make it easier for people to switch their mortgage, and provide additional protections for them.
It will see standardised mortgage switching information being introduced and more transparency from lenders.
Love Island viewers turned on Adam Collard as he looked poised to ruin another romance for unlucky in love Dr Alex George.
The A&E doctor has struggled to find love on the ITV2 reality series, ending up in a friendship couple with Samira Mighty and then having his hopes for a relationship with Megan Barton Hanson dashed when she picked Eyal Booker over him.
Things were looking up when new girls Ellie Brown and Zara McDermott arrived during Sunday night’s episode and the boys made sure Dr George was on top of his game and ready to make an impression.
“I’m with a loud bunch of boys. Five wing men. I’ll be lucky to get any words in but they’ve all got good intentions,” he said.
He appeared to hit it off with both girls and said McDermott ticked “so many boxes for him”.
But seconds later it is revealed she had also caught Collard’s roving eye.
The contestant, who has been called out for his womanising ways in the past, confessed in the Beach Hut: “Zara fits the type of girl that I do fancy, so I would be lying if I said that she wasn’t an attractive girl.”
Fans of the show were fuming at Collard’s comments, branding him a “snake” and saying he had no intention of being Dr George’s wing man.
“Adam finds any girl that breathes “his type”,” said one viewer on Twitter.
Many fans of the programme said they would be upset to see Dr George miss out again.
One person quipped: “I promise you if Adam steals a girl from Alex than we all have to make a pact that we Egg him every time he goes to club appearances.”
I promise you if Adam steals a girl from Alex than we all have to make a pact that we Egg him every time he goes to club appearances #loveisland
— Elisha Georgia Melrose (@elisha_keyz) June 17, 2018
“Swear down if Adam ruins Alex’s chances, I’ll book a flight over and knock him out,” joked another.
