Bosses at the landmark Cummins engine plant in Darlington have confirmed that jobs could be at risk after a slump in demand.

The huge campus on Yarm Road has around 1,900 staff working across engine assembly, exhaust aftertreatment manufacture, technical operations and business support functions.

The company has pledged its future to the town, but demand from such a vast global marketplace is volatile and dependent on so many factors that it has had to start talks with the Unite union about 'realigning operating capacities', and The Echo understands there could be more than 120 roles being discussed.

A Cummins spokesperson told The Northern Echo: "Due to challenging economic conditions and a decline in demand, the Cummins Darlington Engine Plant is proposing to realign operating capacities to meet customer demand. The operational changes are subject to consultation and may put some roles at risk of redundancy.

"This is disappointing and we understand that this is a worrying time for those affected, we are working closely with UNITE and supporting our colleagues. Cummins appreciates the contributions of our employees who are critical to the success of the company. We remain committed to our Darlington site and the community."

 

The Northern Echo: Inside the Cummins site in DarlingtonInside the Cummins site in Darlington (Image: Press release)

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Cummins has been manufacturing in Darlington since 1965.  

Sixty-six thousand engines were produced in Darlington in 2021, and in January 2022 the factory celebrated a historic landmark: its 1.5 millionth mid-range engine.

Spanning a range of 75 to 430 hp, Cummins’ ultra-clean low emission engines power a wide range of truck, bus, construction, agriculture, material handling, military, marine and power generation applications around the world.