Industrial action over potential job losses at Ford’s Bridgend Engine Plant (www.corporate.ford.com) been put on hold while talks take place over its future. Ford has said it welcomes the decision by the union Unite and plans to work with it to look at future opportunities for the site.

In August, Unite confirmed hourly-paid workers voted 52% in favour of strike action and 72% in favour of action short of striking.

The union had balloted its members after it was revealed more than 1,000 jobs may be lost over the next few years after Ford cut its investment in the new Dragon engine, meaning fewer workers would be required to produce it.

Earlier this month problems faced by the engine plant were compounded when Jaguar Land Rover announced that it would end its engine deal with Ford three months early in 2020. Ford said that at its peak in 2015 it provided JLR with half a million engines from Bridgend.

A working group has now been established between the Welsh Government, Unite, Ford and the Wales Automotive Forum, to look at what work could be brought to Bridgend in future.

Plaid Cymru AM Bethan Jenkins has urged the Welsh Government to focus on diversifying production at Bridgend and protecting as many jobs as possible.

She has also called for more detail on how the working group will operate and called for investment on future technology, such as moving to the development of an electric car industry in Bridgend and for a “wider hub centred on the town and focused on more advanced, future manufacturing, particularly surrounding the car industry”.