Coleshill-based manufacturer Auria Solutions has announced that a quarter of its workforce is expected to lose their jobs in the latest blow to the region’s automotive sector. In total, 80 jobs are under threat at the company which supplies parts for the inside of cars, such as liners, trims and flooring.

“Auria Solutions is going through a consultation process before finalising a necessary reduction in workforce for the company’s Coleshill plant,” said in a statement Auria Solutions. “As a global supplier of vehicle interior components, Auria must continually make adjustments to its operations and workforce to mirror the production schedules and manufacturing footprint of its OEM customers around the globe.”

The factory’s main OEM customer is Jaguar Land Rover, which has recently announced it will be cutting 4,500 staff. Earlier this week Coventry-based taxi manufacturer London Electric Vehicle Company revealed it was cutting 70 jobs as it prepared for “a challenging year” for the industry.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) yesterday said “UK Automotive is on red alert” ahead of a feared no-deal Brexit which would put “thousands of jobs on the line”.

Its data showed UK car production hit a five-year low in 2018, with 150,000 fewer cars manufactured than in the previous year.

Trade union Unite, which represents around 60% of the workforce at Auria’s Coleshill site, said the latest job cuts were “a bitter blow” to staff and the regional economy.

“The challenges facing JLR and other car manufacturers are well-documented – the slowdown in the Chinese market; the issues relating to the change from diesel to electric cars; and the growing uncertainty generated by Brexit,” said Unite regional officer Jason Richards.

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