The Jaguar car factory in Halewood Liverpool _320
THE upheavals and changes that beset Halewood a generation ago have not stopped the same workers, many of whom have never worked anywhere else, from turning the plant into a beacon of quality and efficiency.
The loyal workers like those featured on this page are a key reason why the Daily Post is actively supporting Jaguar Land Rover’s request for Government support.
The car industry is crucial to the region’s economy, but it is also crucial to the families and communities that depend on the plant’s long-term survival.
Jason Wilding has worked at Halewood for 24 years since he joined his father there as a 16-year-old apprentice and has seen the workforce’s attitude and abilities evolve.
“The plant has been on its knees, then at the top,” he said. “It was the worst plant in Ford’s but it was built up to be the best, the most efficient. We have changed the line speed five times recently. Most plants would struggle to handle that, and five years ago we wouldn’t have been able to do that. We understand that things have to change. The plant is trying to prepare itself for the future.”
The workers are committed to a bright future. For some, Halewood has been the only place of work they have known; for others, it is where their father worked. But it is also the place where some would like their children to work.
There is a lot of support for the workers. More than 6,000 people have signed our online petition on the Downing Street website – available at www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/jlr , which, after just one week, is the 15th most popular petition.
