But we”ve just bought a house

Hamish Heard
FORD engine plant workers were yesterday grappling with feelings of shock and anger after the company told them their jobs would be gone within three years.
Wednesday’s announcement came just two days before Brendan Sexton, an Australian Manufacturing Workers Union senior steward at the Ford plant, was due to pick up the keys to his dream home.
Mr Sexton has worked at the plant, where he met his fiance and colleague Kerrie McCarthy, for 23 years.
“We’re going to go from a twoincome household about to get married and move into the house of our dreams to an unemployed family with a huge mortgage trying to look after three kids,” he said.
The 43yearold feared his job prospects were grim after spending his entire working life at Ford.
“The problem is that car manufacturing is a specialised job and, when the industry shuts down in Geelong, you can’t take your skills anywhere else,” Mr Sexton said.
Ford Australia president Tom Gorman visited Geelong on Wednesday to tell 600 engine plant workers that the company’s quest for “global economies of scale” meant they would lose their jobs.
Production of the sixcylinder inline engine for Falcon and Territory models would cease, making way for imported V6 engines from America.
“Over the past three to four years very sharp decline in consumers’ appetites for large cars has had a big impact on our engine operations here in Geelong,” Mr Gorman said.
“The market realities facing us are pretty severe.”
While Mr Gorman said there would be some opportunities for staff redeployment within the company, Ford would work with union officials to negotiate redundancy payments for the others.
“For those that don’t have an opportunity for redeployment within Ford, it’s crucial that we work on retraining initiatives…to make sure they can find meaningful opportunities outside Ford,” Mr Gorman said.
But AMWU senior shop steward Tony Anderson said workers were skeptical about whether they would be able to find “real jobs” after the plant closes in 2010.
Mr Anderson said workers were furious about the closure.
“Is Ford really worried about the community or is it just there for the shareholders?” Mr Anderson said.