Motor Industry
New jobs, old insecurityWORKERS, MAR 2008 ISSUE
Eight hundred new jobs are to be created at Nissan in Sunderland. The downside is 400 are to be temporary. Meanwhile 400 permanent jobs will be offered to existing temporary workers.
The news – good for manufacturing in Britain – also reflects the employment practices guaranteed to ensure instability amongst the workforce. Temporary contracts, agency working, zero-hour contracts, short-term contracts – employment is held by the throat by the uncertainty of whether there will be work next week.
Does Nissan need these working practices? No, Nissan is now Britain's largest car manufacturer, employing over 5,000 workers in Sunderland. Ship building has now been replaced by car kit assembly. Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Volkswagen now dominate British car and vehicle manufacture.