Aston Martin has confirmed that more than 200 people are to be made redundant at its St Athan site.
Unite Cymru had announced earlier today that a total of 95 jobs at the luxury car manufacturer will be lost as well as more than 100 employees from workforce provider Millbank.
The union said it raised questions over Aston Martin's commitment to south Wales, describing the cuts as a "huge chunk of the total workforce".
The loss of 95 jobs form part of Aston Martin Lagonda's previously confirmed plans to cut 500 jobs to restore profitability against a backdrop of falling sales in 2020.
The St Athan facility, which only officially opened at the end of 2019, was a converted former RAF super-hangar at St Athan and it is the company's 'home of electrification'.
Peter Hughes, Unite Wales regional secretary, said: “Our members working at Aston Martin will be very concerned regarding their long-term futures tonight. The potential loss of over 200 jobs represents a huge chunk of the total workforce. We are calling upon Aston Martin to step back from these proposals and work with Unite and Welsh Government to find an alternative path forward.
"We are engaged in a formal consultation on behalf of our members with a view to avoiding or reducing the impact of the redundancies across the entire workforce. Unite has been concerned for some time as to the creation of a two-tier workforce at the site."
He added: "Aston Martin is a brand that prides itself on its reputation and has been heavily financially assisted by Welsh Government to locate at St Athan. We expect the company to therefore act in a way that is both ethical and in the spirit of social partnership that we advocate in Wales."
A spokesman for Aston Martin said: "Aston Martin moves into a new era, with new investment and a new business plan to position the company for success, and to operate as a self-sustaining business in the near future.
"In order to secure the future of its Gaydon and St Athan manufacturing facilities, Aston Martin continues to execute on actions to improve the cost efficiency of the business, in alignment with its transformation plan. 'Project Horizon' has been launched to revitalise its products and deliver a level of operational excellence, agility and efficiency throughout every aspect of the organisation.
"Aston Martin has issued an HR1 for its St Athan facility and has launched an employee and Trade Union consultation process.
"Aston Martin can confirm that it is also looking to release contractors at its St Athan facility."
Earlier this week the luxury marque announced it will build all its electric cars in the UK from 2025. Aston Martin told the Financial Times its electric SUV models will be manufactured at the St Athan factory while its battery sports car will be made at its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire. This is instead of the vehicles being built at German plants owned by its partner, Mercedes-Benz, which owns a fifth of the firm.
Aston Martin plans to launch hybrid versions of its cars from this year followed by battery-only models from 2025.
Initially Aston Martin was to make its first SUV, the DBX, at St Athan but is then intending to add the manufacturing of the Rapide E and Lagonda brands to its output at the Vale of Glamorgan site.
At the time of the factory opening it was hoped that it would create 1,000 jobs directly and many more thousands downstream.
In response to the news Vale of Glamorgan MP Alun Cairns described the cuts as "naturally concerning" but said meetings to discuss the plans were under way.
Mr Cairns said: "The potential loss of any job is naturally concerning and will have a major impact on the families concerned if the proposals go ahead. I am continuing to engage on what can be done to mitigate job losses.
“I have been in touch with Aston Martin regularly over the last year to support them and their employees through the Covid challenges – both operationally and economically.
“Over the last few weeks alone I have had a meetings with the chief executive and chief operating officer to discuss their plans.
“We agreed that the excellent skill levels and facilities in St Athan have great potential and provide a great opportunity for Aston Martin’s future plans. I have been reassured over their long-term commitment to the site and workforce.
“I hope that Aston Martin’s restructuring can lead to new opportunities locally but this will offer little comfort to those who are at risk of losing their jobs whilst the company reorganises and adjusts its vehicles to meet changing demands.
“They agreed to look closely at the consultation responses to do all possible to reduce plans for redundancy.”
Plaid Cymru Leader, Adam Price MS said: "This is dreadful news for the workers at the St Athan plant, and my thoughts are with them. They will be needing support in the coming weeks and months, particularly as we’re still in a pandemic.
"It’s nothing short of a scandal that millions of pounds of taxpayers money has been thrown at Aston Martin by the Labour Welsh Government and the plant in St Athan only for it to be thrown back in their faces by cutting almost 200 jobs."
In 2016 Aston Martin looked at more than 20 possible sites for its new factory from as far afield as Alabama to eastern Europe before selecting the 90-acre St Athan site, which included three former MOD ‘super-hangars’.
It was the super-hangars that gave the south Wales site the edge over its rivals as the company said it effectively gave Aston Martin an 18-month head start.
The Welsh Government gave a number of grants to the car-maker but the company has previously said that the financial incentives were not the reason the company chose Wales.
The UK plans to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, with hybrids prohibited from 2035.
Executive chairman Lawrence Stroll, the Canadian billionaire who led a bailout of the company last year, previously claimed Aston Martin is "way ahead of our rivals, and all because of our partnership with Mercedes".
However Aston Martin has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
A total of 4,150 cars were sold in 2020 – a third fewer than a year earlier, although bosses had already said they wanted to sell a smaller number of vehicles in the hope of regaining greater exclusivity for the brand.
Losses before tax in 2020 rose to £466m compared with a £120m loss a year earlier.
