Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is planning a two week shutdown in October for the Solihull plant.
JLR blamed a lesser demand globally, particularly in China, as it faced falling diesel sales over the last few months.
In a report from the BBC, the carmaker giant said employees at the West Midlands plant would be paid for the duration of the shutdown. They also stated that no jobs would be lost.
The Unite union referred to the news as deeply troubling, and suggested that government policies were to blame.
Unite national officer Des Quinn said: “Government ministers’ trashing of diesel, despite the UK making some of the cleanest engines in the world, combined with their shambolic handling of Brexit is damaging the UK car industry and the supply chain.
“Add into the mix the government’s half-hearted support for the transition to electric and alternatively powered cars and you have a triple whammy facing the UK’s car workers.”
In a statement on Monday, parent company Tata Motors said total sales fell 12.3% in September to 57,114 vehicles.
Tata Motors blamed a 46% slide in China, its biggest market.
“As part of the company’s continued strategy for profitable growth, Jaguar Land Rover is focused on achieving operational efficiencies and will align supply to reflect fluctuating demand globally as required,” the firm said in a statement.
“The decision to introduce a two-week shutdown period later this month at Solihull is one example of actions we are taking to achieve this.
“Customer orders in the system will not be impacted and employees affected will be paid for the duration of the shutdown.”
The Solihull plant, is set to close from 22nd October. It follows a move to a three day week for 2,000 workers at the firm’s Castle Bromwich plant, and an announcement in April to lay off 1,000 workers across its West Midlands’ plants, after the decision was made to move the production of the Jaguar Land Rover Discovery product to Slovakia.
The UK car industry has been struggling in recent months, as diesel sales fall and carmakers face tougher new emissions standards.
In the last few weeks, Nissan, Toyota and Honda have all warned that a no-deal Brexit could affect their production and profits.
BMW also said in September, it would have to shut the Mini factory in Oxford for a month after Brexit, if the UK failed to secure a trade deal with the bloc.
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