A sad day for FORD Australia

[Ryan]

I am greatful that I am not turning up to work to find the gates locked. Three years is a big heads up. Doesn't make the news any brighter though.
But it's such a loss, 90 years of history. The whole of manufacturing gone. Engine plant, Casting plant, Stamping plant in geelong and the assembly plant in broadmeadows.
We had been winding and cutting back but it was still a shock to most. We thought some would survive. Product development and the proving ground will remain but aussie Fords wont. They'll be foreign built cars. An Australia without a Falcon. Doesn't seem real.
Dearborn got its way.
They are happy to use our ideas and knowledge but they'll use cheap asian or indian labour to build them.
Falcon was never going to save Ford Australia. Getting onboard with a global platform would have. Being a building and export hub just like Toyota in Altona. Did you know Toyota just up the road is currently employing 140 workers and will soon be adding a third vehicle to its production? Last year they opened a brand new $300million engine plant.
They can do it. Why not Ford?
It's hard not to be angry and feel sold out.
And I knew about Genk too Hanno. It's crap. Selling out Belgium workers for cheap Romanian or further east labour.
History and pride and loyalty mean nothing to global execs on millions.
But we'll still build Falcons and Territories while we can, and we'll do it to a high standard with pride. Because we love what we do.
Yeah, and all this under a 'labour' government that has jobs, jobs, jobs as their priority. Pigs arse.
I worry for Holden.
A country that cannot manufacture its own goods is a country that cannot defend itself, no matter the courage it's soldiers may show.