Honda Closing UK Swindon Plant in 2022

[gtman]

Cool! Another thread on the Swindon closing. You can never have enough duplicate topics.

Sponsored

 

[latole]

Cool! Another thread on the Swindon closing. You can never have enough duplicate topics.

The other thread is about ; "How do you think this will affect hatchback and Type R production? "

This one is about a divorce..

 

[Captaindicki]

This is horrible news for the workers and us consumers. Of all the countries outside Japan I’d rather have build a car, Britain is right up there. Better grab a Type R while they’re still built in the land of Formula 1 by sophisticated, skilled and dedicated auto workers. Where they gonna move the civic factory to? Mexico? Thailand? China? Ya no thanks

 

[Gruber]

If Honda actually closes the Swindon plant as a sort of political retaliation against Britain, I will close my wallet for ever to Honda. I will buy a Chevy, which is, as we now know, much more reliable.

Threats of economical boycott and tariffs to disobedient countries are the foundational principle of the EU, but I don’t see why Honda has to bow to these practices.

 

[87elco]

If Honda actually closes the Swindon plant as a sort of political retaliation against Britain, I will close my wallet for ever to Honda. I will buy a Chevy, which is, as we now know, much more reliable.

Threats of economical boycott and tariffs to disobedient countries are the foundational principle of the EU, but I don’t see why Honda has to bow to these practices.

chevy doesn't have anything that's not a boat or that doesn't turn off at stop lights no thanks. (Camaro,corvette excluded)

 

[NoHonor937]

This is horrible news for the workers and us consumers. Of all the countries outside Japan I’d rather have build a car, Britain is right up there. Better grab a Type R while they’re still built in the land of Formula 1 by sophisticated, skilled and dedicated auto workers. Where they gonna move the civic factory to? Mexico? Thailand? China? Ya no thanks

Really? It’s unskilled labor. You don’t need a degree to work in a car factory regardless of where you work. Every car factory is the same. It’s all done by robots with human mechs taking care of the machines.

 

[Gruber]

Can anyone explain why Honda can’t have a plant in the UK, unless the UK part of the EU, but can have plants in Canada, which has a little more than half the population? The price of hatchbacks in the US was about $500 more because they have to be floated over the Atlantic.

 

[wytwolf]

Can anyone explain why Honda can’t have a plant in the UK, unless the UK part of the EU, but can have plants in Canada, which has a little more than half the population? The price of hatchbacks in the US was about $500 more because they have to be floated over the Atlantic.

Plus the CAD dollar is a lot lower than the British Pound. Probably saving on labour and shipping.

 

[Captaindicki]

Really? It’s unskilled labor. You don’t need a degree to work in a car factory regardless of where you work. Every car factory is the same. It’s all done by robots with human mechs taking care of the machines.

So, mr professor, these British car factory workers are complete buffoons? Maybe you think they are just as well suited and no better than to picking strawberries? And only in possession of a university degree means one has skills in the first place? And every car factory is the same...LOL? So a factory in Mexico is no different from one in Japan or Germany? Hmmm...maybe the world is stupid for wanting German made products?
Yeah, I’d love me a Porsche built in Mexico...lol.
Also I’d bet quite a few of these Honda “unskilled labourers” do have university educations in varying subjects or other technical skills...England is kinda like that. But you’d know that if you got yourself a passport, ventured outside America and opened your eyes

 

[latole]

It is well know that most of these workers don't need a high school degree to assemble car.

And with their study and expérience they will have hard time to find another job to earn same money

 

[MyFirstHonda]

Devastating news for those employees. I expect Honda is more than capable of relocating manufacturing of the Civic Hatchback and Type R, maybe they’ll be assembled in America.

 

[Gruber]

Really? It’s unskilled labor. You don’t need a degree to work in a car factory regardless of where you work. Every car factory is the same. It’s all done by robots with human mechs taking care of the machines.

This is not true The robots assembly (weld) body shells, also painting is done mostly by robots. Machining the engine is mostly automated. Still plenty of work for humans with assembly and quality control at every step.
But there is a huge role for people in the assembly. They don’t just take care of the machines. Robots don’t do wiring, interior assembly, weather seals etc etc. There is plenty of margin for sloppy assembly and there are people going around with screwdrivers. The machines help in carrying heavy parts.
It’s easy to see by yourself. Check out YouTube for “Honda assembly” or manufacturing, can add “civic”. You can see plants in Ohio, Wisconsin, Alabama, Swindon...

Interestingly, the assembly workers in green Honda hats don’t look like like simple “laborers.”
Also interestingly, in US an UK they are almost all white, which surprised me a little. Not like I imagine Detroit.

They say here (not the freshest video) the Swindon plant exists since 1985. Before the EU was concocted.
“Honda in Swindon. World class manufacturing for a global market.”

 

[Snoopyslr]

If Honda actually closes the Swindon plant as a sort of political retaliation against Britain, I will close my wallet for ever to Honda. I will buy a Chevy, which is, as we now know, much more reliable.

Threats of economical boycott and tariffs to disobedient countries are the foundational principle of the EU, but I don’t see why Honda has to bow to these practices.

I almost spit coffee at my screen when I read this. You funny

Really? It’s unskilled labor. You don’t need a degree to work in a car factory regardless of where you work. Every car factory is the same. It’s all done by robots with human mechs taking care of the machines.

He's not wrong. I'd say 99% of people in the assembly plant couldn't do their own brake jobs or flush a radiator. It's all repetitive trained labor. Putting a car together is astonishingly simple, it's not much different than Lego. This goes here and that goes there in a certain order.

Heck... I'd also say 90% of the engineers and designers I work with designing cars couldn't do a brake job or radiator flush either... How scary is that?

 

[jred721]

I swear i've seen like 5 different threads about the plant closing. Not calling out this thread but in general do we really need so many threads about this? People need to read more before they create new threads.

 

[NoHonor937]

So, mr professor, these British car factory workers are complete buffoons? Maybe you think they are just as well suited and no better than to picking strawberries? And only in possession of a university degree means one has skills in the first place? And every car factory is the same...LOL? So a factory in Mexico is no different from one in Japan or Germany? Hmmm...maybe the world is stupid for wanting German made products?
Yeah, I’d love me a Porsche built in Mexico...lol.
Also I’d bet quite a few of these Honda “unskilled labourers” do have university educations in varying subjects or other technical skills...England is kinda like that. But you’d know that if you got yourself a passport, ventured outside America and opened your eyes

If they had university degrees they could make more money working for their degree. So yes. Assembly line workers do the same repetitive action over and over again so the muscle memory is easy to learn. They might be faster at it than you but that’s because they have done it 8 hours a day for 5 days a week. It is completely unskilled labor and yes they would just as beneficial to picking strawberries since that would also be a basic muscle memory exercise with minor training. An engineer working as assembly worker would completely unbeneficial and not efficient. Basic economic principles. The Honda plant in Ohio by me will hire anyone as long as they have a ged. Its simple labor. The Honda workers get paid more though so it’s expected that they care about their quality but I’m sure they make a alot of scrap and bad cars as well. You’ll just never hear about them since they don’t leave the factory.

Sponsored