Toyota announces more Australian job cuts

Toyota has announced more job cuts before its planned closure in 2017.

Toyota Motor Corporation has foreshadowed up to 160 additional Australian job cuts at its Victorian technical centre to coincide with the company's car manufacturing operations shutting in 2017.

The Japanese car maker announced on Thursday that a number of engineering and administration roles at the centre would become redundant from as early as next year. The move follows Toyota Motor Corporation's decision in February to cease car manufacturing at the technical centre's sister company, Toyota Australia, in 2017.

"Toyota Technical Centre Australia (TTC-AU) ... will significantly reduce the size of its business over the coming years, with only a limited number of functions likely to remain beyond 2017," the company said in a statement.

"Senior executives at TTC-AU and Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan have worked tirelessly to investigate options for the future of the company and have sadly determined that TTC-AU is not viable in the long term in its current format without local production.

"As a result, there will be staggered redundancies from as early as next year as each major project for Australia and Toyota globally is completed."

Some industry insiders considered the closure of the technical centre a foregone conclusion following Toyota Motor Corporation's decision to cease car making in Australia. Others held a glimmer of hope that Toyota would maintain its presence in Australia in at least a design and engineering capacity, similar to strategies already announced by car makers Ford and Holden.

According to the TTC-AU website, the company specialises in engineering, quality engineering, body engineering, chassis engineering, customer quality engineering department, electronic engineering, vehicle evaluation and administration jobs.

TTC-AU president Max Gillard vowed to support the company's 160 employees during the redundancy period.

"Our immediate priority is to meet with each of our groups to explain the ramifications this decision will have on them and detail the support services that are available," Mr Gillard said in a statement.

"The final size, structure, location and remaining functions of TTC-AU beyond 2017 will be determined closer to the date."

TTC-AU and Toyota Australia declined to comment further.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union has been contacted for comment.

Original Post By: http://ift.tt/1jhMW3R

Source: Toyota announces more Australian job cuts