Australia`s last 2500 automakers will lose their jobs this year.
Yesterday, Toyota announced that it would close its last plant in Altona on Oct. 3.
The automaker`s engines and automakers were summoned to a meeting at 04:15 yesterday.
Yesterday afternoon at 5:00, the company released a statement that the closure of the Altona factory and the merger of the company`s office would result in most of the workforce out of work and that the original 3,900 employees would have only 1,300 employees in the future.
As early as 2014, Toyota had announced that they would not produce in Melbourne after 2017. As a result, its production line employees are in fact prepared for this.
Jason Saunders,45, has been working in the factory for 16 years.
"I thought I would retire from here or work here until I died." He said。
"it`s a high-quality job, so you have to work very hard on it. But the treatment here is really good, and I don`t think I`m going to make so much money from anywhere else. "
Although he knew that the notice would come back sooner or later, he hoped that the day would be a little late until the end of the year.
"We hope that the news will not be announced until then. But what can we do then. "
Mr. Saunders said he and his colleagues left in a strong mood after Tuesday`s announcement.
`Everyone is thinking `when`, so now it`s a little easier to start thinking about what they`re going to do next.
"I`m in the training class now. I can`t find another job in the same industry, so I have to change careers, and I`m thinking about the service industry right now. "
When other blue-collar workers left the factory last night, they said, "finally know the date, and it`s good."
"so from this point of view, it`s also a good thing." One worker said.
"it gives us some certainty. Some of us have already planned what to do next. "
Currently, Toyota plans to produce an additional 61000 vehicles before the Altona plant stops production. Of these, 26600 are for sale in the domestic market and 34400 are for export.
The plant will stop production of Aurion models from August, Camry hybrids in September and Camry gasoline in October.
Dave Buttner, president of Toyota Australia, said the company would always support employees through the transition.
"our top priority for the rest of the months is to do everything possible to support our staff in every way and prepare for the future," Mr. Buttner said.
"We are still proud of our company`s rich manufacturing history that spans 50 years. Our employees have always been committed to the production of the highest standards of cars. "
In the future, Toyota`s headquarters will also be based in Port Melbourne. By January 2018, all the companies will move from Sydney to Melbourne.
The upcoming closure of the Altona plant will be used as a training centre.
On Tuesday, the union said the future of Toyota employees was uncertain and hated the party`s bold decision to pull carmakers out of Australia in 2013.
"Workers in the auto industry will never forget () Joe Hockey, the former Treasury secretary, questioned the development of the auto industry abroad." Dave Smith of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union said.
"Joe Hockey is gone, but Malcolm Turnbull is continuing the problem of the abandoned car workers he left behind."
"it`s time for Tan Bao to pass on his` employment and growth `guidelines and tell us about his transition plan to transfer these workers to skilled jobs."
In the 2014 announcement, the company`s president, Max Yasuda, said the company had made all possible efforts to transform.
"but the truth is, there are a lot of things we can`t control that make it impossible to make cars in Australia," Mr. Yasuda said.
Toyota was the last automaker to announce its exit from Australia.
Ford, Australia`s first carmaker, closed its factories in Melbourne and Gilang in October 2016, leaving 600 employees out of work.
The full text of Toyota`s statement
