The union representing Ford workers says many employees will struggle to find new jobs after the company's Australian manufacturing plants close on Friday.
The day marks the end of locally made Fords, with the last car expected to come off the Broadmeadows production line about 10am.
"These job losses couldn't come at a worse time for these workers, many of whom will struggle to find work," AMWU national vehicle division secretary Dave Smith said in a statement.
"There are simply not enough new jobs to absorb job losses at this scale."
Kalpa Dewan came to Australia on a skilled migration visa and has been working for Ford for 27 years.
"Everyone is just devastated you know," Mr Dewan said this morning outside the Broadmeadows factory.
Mr Dewan said ordinary people were being punished and that the company and the government didn't look after the motor vehicle industry.
"This sort of place was accommodating so many different people from different ethnic backgrounds and giving them jobs," Mr Dewan said.
"It's just so sad."
Sead Hipic has worked the production line at Broadmeadows for 33 years and like hundreds of other workers will now have to look for new work to support his young family.
"I came here as a kid, now I'm leaving an old man," Mr Hipic said.
"We had three years to think about it and we knew this day was coming. I suppose we've got to move on."
The union said 2008 research following the closure of Mitsubishi's Adelaide plant suggested just one-third of employees found permanent work within six months.
Related reading
Time called on Australian made Ford
The remainder found themselves unemployed, under-employed or forced into retirement.
Photos of the last-ever Falcon sedan to be built in Broadmeadows have surfaced online as workers near the end of their final shifts.
Posted on a Ford fan Facebook page the photographs show the bare shell of a blue Falcon on its journey down the production line, with a cardboard sign marking it as "The Last Falcon Sedan".
About 600 workers will lose their jobs, many whom have spent their entire working lives at the Broadmeadows and Geelong sites.
Victorian Industry Minister Wade Noonan says the government is providing $46.5 million of assistance for the state's auto workers and businesses and communities hardest hit by the closures.
"It is absolutely paramount that all levels of government work together to help workers and businesses during this difficult transition," Mr Noonan said in a statement.
"The experience of Ford employees will provide a valuable benchmark for all other workers such as those at Holden, Toyota and supply chain companies as they make a similar transition."
Holden and Toyota will cease manufacturing in Australia in 2017.
Ford will continue to employ 1500 people in Victoria at its product development centre and parts warehouse at Broadmeadows and a research and development centre in Geelong.
Ford worker Nick Doria speaks to media after fitting the dashboard on the last Ford Falcon:
Why Ford Australia is shutting up shop
Ford closes its Geelong and Broadmeadows factories for good on Friday October 7, ending 91 years of Australian built cars.
Who's next?
Holden and Toyota will follow, shutting down their Australian manufacturing operations in 2017.
Why?
They have blamed a number of reasons, but the need to stay profitable ultimately led to tough decisions being made, according to Ford spokesman Wesley Sherwood.
- A strong Australian dollar leading to cheaper imported cars and high production costs
- Low import tariffs
- High wages
- The appetite for Australian made cars has also waned - of 1,144,408 new cars bought in 2015 only 97,443 were built locally. * More cars are available in Australia than ever before with 60 brands and more than 500 models.
Share
