Car manufacturer Toyota has confirmed that it is planning to temporarily halt production at its Derbyshire factory in anticipation of possible disruption to deliveries in the wake of a no-deal Brexit.
Concern is growing among manufacturers that the UK will leave the EU on October 31 without a deal in place.
Now, Toyota has said that staff at its Burnaston plant, which makes the Corolla, will not work on Friday, November 1, as part of the firm’s contingency plans.
They will then return to work on the following Monday. A spokesman for the car-maker added that it does not plan to reduce volume and staff will have to work the hours lost to the production pause at a later point.
Its contingency plans, which have been agreed with workers, come as the Government is reiterating warnings to businesses to prepare for no-deal.
On Thursday, staff from some of the UK’s biggest manufacturers - including Toyota and Rolls-Royce - warned the Government that a no-deal Brexit would lead to a collapse in investment and could spark factory closures.
A delegation led by union officials, including conveyors from factories across the country, told Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove that leaving the EU without a deal would be a “catastrophic disaster”, destroying skilled manufacturing jobs and communities.
Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner warned Mr Gove that manufacturers faced billions of pounds of extra costs every year because of the tariffs and other costs of a no-deal Brexit.
After the meeting, Mr Turner said: “These are global companies, which have options on where to invest their money, including other parts of the EU.
“They are incredibly concerned about the impact of a no-deal, but the Government has no idea how to deal with the issue.
“The response is broad brush, which is very dangerous for industry. I went into the meeting with very low expectations, and I wasn’t disappointed.”
Mr Turner said Mr Gove agreed to try to arrange a meeting with the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, adding: “We are going to push him to do that as soon as possible because it is important the Prime Minister hears directly from workers on the front line of industry.”
Jude Brimble, national officer of the GMB union, said: “Ministers need to stop playing politics with people’s livelihoods and put UK jobs before Boris Johnson’s lust for power.
“We’ve already lost half-a-million jobs in the past decade. A no-deal Brexit would be a car crash for UK manufacturing.
“We told Mr Gove in no uncertain terms that we must meet with the Prime Minster urgently to develop a coherent strategy to protect our vital manufacturing industries.”
