Tata's Jaguar to end X-Type car production, sack 300 employees

London, July 15 (ANI): Tata-owned Jaguar has decided to end the production of its X-Type car by the end of 2009, which would result in 300 job cuts.

The carmaker announced on Wednesday that it would be seeking voluntary redundancies at its factory in Halewood, Merseyside, which is also to close for three weeks as part of an extended shutdown starting in September because of "ongoing weaknesses" in the industry.

"Our industry has been especially badly hit by the recession and the premium sector more than others," the Daily Star quoted Jaguar Land Rover CEO David Smith, as saying.

"Jaguar Land Rover's retail sales fell by 28 per cent in the past 10 months. We have taken unprecedented actions to cut costs including reduced production volumes, significant cuts to investment plans and some 2,200 job losses," he added.

Smith said further actions will be determined by the state of the market.

"Ceasing production of the X-Type early, with further redundancies and temporary shutdowns at Halewood is necessary to protect our other investment plans," he said.

Halewood currently employs around 2,000 workers and is a major employer on Merseyside. (ANI)