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Hundreds of workers crossed Swindon in an attempt to save their jobs by convincing Honda to reconsider its decision to close a car manufacturing plant in the city.
Protesters, many of whom were joined by their families, were protesting against Honda's plans to close the car plant in 2021, which will cost 3,500 jobs for their employees.
Trade union leaders said the Japanese automaker's decision would devastate the community and affect thousands of additional jobs in the supply chain that depend on the factory.
The plant is the only manufacturer's plant in the EU and produces 150,000 vehicles a year. This closure is a blow to the British auto industry. Business Secretary Greg Clark opposed the decision, which pledged to press for Honda's decision to be overturned.
Honda has been building engines at Swindon since 1989.
A 25-year-old factory veteran said the workers felt "betrayed" and that he would be fighting to keep the plant open.
Deputy Secretary General Steve Turner, who addressed the rally Saturday and read a message of support from the minister to the crowds, said the closure of the plant was a disaster for the city.
"If you lose a big plant like this in the heart of Swindon, it's a fatal blow to the manufacturing sector.
"There are 10,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector in Swindon, it's official numbers and 3,500 are directly employed in the Honda plant itself. And then there are naturally thousands of others on the site who feed the factory, "he said.
Turner said many workers had been joined by their children. "It's a fight that's not just about people who have jobs today. It's about giving some hope and opportunity to the next generation who wants decent jobs, learning, stability in their lives.
"It's a very diverse working group. Some are coming to the end of their working life, but many are just starting a family or buying a house and trying to get settled right in Swindon. "
The closure would devastate workers and their families, as well as the community, he said. "These are good jobs, union jobs, with a decent pay rate and pension entitlements, and everything else that goes with it. If you take that out of the heart of the community, there are only jobs in the service sector, the warehouses and the minimum wage. "
Paddy Brennan, who heads the factory workers as Unite's manager, said, "It's treason. We make our money in this factory. Money is good but it's not cheap. It's hard work.
"The initial reaction was a reaction of anger because the whole world knew before the workers knew … They had not informed any factory worker."
Brennan, who has worked for the company for 25 years and worked in the production shop before becoming union president a year ago, said he would not stop fighting to keep the plant open.
The father of five said there were people of all ages walking in the city from the Swindon football field. "We had children, working parents among the workers, probably aged 60 to 70, handicapped, people who had undergone surgery. One guy in particular came with crutches to support our campaign, "he said.
In February, Honda announced its decision to close the Swindon plant in 2021 as part of restructuring plans.
Katsushi Inoue, president of Honda Motor Europe, said last month: "Given the unprecedented changes affecting our industry, it is critical that we accelerate our electrification strategy and restructure our global operations accordingly.
"As a result, we had to make this difficult decision to consult with our staff on how we could prepare our manufacturing network for the future. This has not been taken lightly and we deeply regret how confusing today's announcement will be for our people. "
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