Motorcar manufacturing giant Ford has said that they are planning to cut about 12,000 jobs across its European setups by the end of 2020.

The car manufacturing giant is trying to cut costs and reorganize its European trade, which is losing monetary profits.

It plans to have shut down five of its facilities by the end of the year 2020, together with the Bridgend engine plant in Wales, and it is selling another.

Ford, which holds the strength of 51,000 employees in Europe, hopes to accomplish most of the cuts through voluntary unemployment.

The whole car making sector is at present struggling to deal with the fragile or falling demand in major serving markets and the massive investments essential for the shift in the direction of electric vehicles.

Ford motors believed that out of the 12,000 employees affected, 2,000 were on salaried roles, which are between the previously declared 7,000 paid jobs that are being cut worldwide.

“Removing employees and shutting down plants are the toughest decisions we make, and as a goodwill gesture we are providing support to ease the impact on families and communities,” said Stuart Rowley, president of Ford of Europe.

“We are thankful for the on-going consultations with our works associations, trade union partners and elected representatives.

“Together, we are moving focused on constructing a long-term sustainable future for our industry in Europe.”

The scheduled closure of Ford’s facility in Bridgend is impartial part of a much wider image and one which displays just how tough life has to turn out to be for the US giant in Europe.

This is not the first time its European facilities have experienced major surgery over the past ten years span. Previous reformation efforts also saw manufacturing works closed and thousands of jobs lost.

There was a reverse of sorts, leading to a strong profit in 2016. But since then the movement has reversed, and the partition has been struggling once again.

At the same time, Ford desires to free up its cash flow, so that it can devote funds in electric and hybrid cars. That will be necessary if it is to meet new EU emissions targets which apply from 2021.

So the blade is being swung and swung hard. But for the moment, Ford does seem confident a slimmer business in Europe can flourish.

It’s worth memorizing that another American giant – General Motors – in recent times gave up on its European industries altogether. It’s tough out there.

Ford plans to have shed six industrialized plants by the end of next year. These include:

The planned shutting of the Bridgend Engine Plant in south Wales

The shutting of the Ford Aquitaine Industries Transmission Plant in France

The shutting of the Naberezhnye Chelny Assembly, St Petersburg Assembly and Elabuga Engine Plant in Russia

The sale unit of the Kechnec Transmission Plant in Slovakia to Magna.

The business is also carrying out shift decreases at its assembly plants in Saarlouis, Germany, and Valencia, Spain.