Bentley has announced that the company intends to shed 1,000 of its UK workforce, after the coronavirus sped up pre-existing plans to cut costs.
The luxury carmaker – owned by the Volkswagen-Group – said that it would be encouraging voluntary redundancies to lower the headcount at its manufacturing plant in Crewe, and that it would not rule out compulsory redundancies.
Bentley had placed two thirds of its UK based workforce on furlough during the pandemic and had frozen all recruitment, but further action was needed to cut costs.
Adrian Hallmark, chairman and chief executive officer of Bentley Motors, said, “losing colleagues is not something we are treating lightly but this is a necessary step that we have to take to safeguard the jobs of the vast majority who will remain and deliver a sustainable business model for the future through our Beyond100 strategy.
“The voluntary release programme at least allows the colleagues to make the personal choice and leave us with the most appealing and supportive offer possible within the circumstances. COVID-19 has not been the cause of this measure but a hastener.”
Earlier last week, British manufacturer Aston Martin announced a plan to restructure its business with losses of 500 jobs, implementing the cuts to save up to £10m per year, with executive chairman Lawrence Stroll speaking of a 'fundamental reset' for the struggling OEM.
Keyword: COVID-19: luxury carmaker Bentley to reduce UK workforce by 25%