Nissan Sunderland in "detailed study" with company after announcement that 7 factories are to close

In November Nissan announced restructuring plans which would see the loss of 9,000 jobs. On Monday Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that an additional 10,000 jobs are to be cut.

In the most recent development, Nissan has announced the cutting back of its workforce will involve the closure of seven of its factories, although there are not yet any details as to whether the Sunderland site is one of them.

The major global overhaul will see Nissan reduce its number of plants from 17 to 10 by 2027.

The changes are expected to affect around 15% of the company’s workforce but it is not known where jobs will be cut across its global operations.

We have contacted Nissan Sunderland and a spokesperson said: “We are currently in a detailed study within the company regarding the announced plant closures. At this stage, we are not able to inform you which plants will be affected.”

The biggest employer in the city, Nissan currently employs around 6,000 people at its Sunderland manufacturing plant and the latest development is sure to be of concern to its workforce.

The additional cuts are reported to be due to continued week sales, partly due to brutal competition in China, previously a key market, as the country’s domestic manufacturers produce low-cost, high-tech electric vehicles (EVs).

China’s electric vehicle industry is also seeking to move into other countries around the world, aiming to take a chunk out of markets where Japanese firms had once held dominance.

Last month, Alan Johnson, senior vice president for manufacturing for Nissan’s Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania operation, cautioned that the UK was “not a competitive place” to build cars as he called for Government support.

The company is seeking to reduce its production capacity by 20% after a pair of recent profit downgrades.