Ahmedabad: Hundreds of workers of Ford Motor staged a protest outside the company’s plant in Sanand near Ahmedabad on Tuesday evening against the automotive giant’s plans to shut down the facility.
Ford Motor announced earlier this month it would stop manufacturing in India in the coming months after failing to find a sustainable path to being profitable. The accumulated losses of more than $2 billion and lack of expected growth in the car market contributed to the decision to shut down its Chennai and Sanand plants.
Employees at Ford’s Sanand plant, where it had begun operations seven years back, held sit-in protests in the presence of independent MLA Jignesh Mevani, who too opposed the decision to shut the plant.
“Ford’s announcement to shut down the Sanand plant by December will leave around 10,000 people unemployed. We appeal to the company to reconsider the decision,” Mevani said, alleging the company is not speaking with workers, and the government is not acting in workers’ interest.
Anilsinh Jhala, who has been working at the Sanand plant for past seven years, told media the company’s announcement to shut down the plant had come as a shock to them.
“There is complete uncertainty. I don’t know how I will be able to pay my home loan EMIs,” he said, adding the company should reverse the decision.
The Ford workers also want the government to act swiftly and ensure their jobs are secured if the plant is shut down.